This Week's Struggles

Big News

The GCSE results are in and the government and the exam boards are breathing a sigh of relief  because the grade percentage finally went down after 24 years. 

Does it seem a little wrong to be celebrating a dip in achievements? 

Well yes it is but we are never happy with exam results, they are either too easy or, as the complaint is now, marking is too harsh.

I read lots about people complaining that students missed out on a C by one mark and such. But there will always be students who miss out by one mark, besides the C level pass only fell by 0.6%.

Nonetheless students are, understandably, unhappy because they got a D and may have to resit, whereas teachers are grumpy because of how C to A grades reflect on the school.

Personally the way results reflect on schools should be calculated by adding all of the actual scores and finding the mean, its basic GCSE maths, to take a fairer more even scope of how well schools actually perform. 

Also, so what if the boundaries went up? Last year a study showed business leaders complaining that young people entered the work place without basic English and maths skills despite the soaring GCSE results. Although school is not there to make pupils ready for the job market, it is a good indication that the GCSE system is failing to deliver a basic education.


US News

Mitt Romney has been confirmed as the Republican Presidential candidate (the way he has been celebrating for the past month and a half I wasn't even aware of the competition). He will run against Obama in November with his Vice President candidate, ultra-right, Paul Ryan.

This week super rich Romney has had to deal with Paul Rayn making a speech full of flaws; for example Rayn claimed that Obama ignored the results of the Bowles-Simpson report on how to balance the debt. While making the speech he also forgot to say he was on the committee and voted against the validity of the report allowing it to fall short of the appropriate number of votes needed to be considered worthy of note. 


Mitt has also has to deal with the fallout from Todd Akin, Republican senate candidate, claims about 'legitimate rape' (if you did not catch this take a look, it is both hysterical and deeply shocking) but his wife, Ann, did make a speech about how wonderful he is and what a great 1950's dream they live.



Science and Technology

And now the Apple has turned carnivorous and potentially cannibalistic! 

It would seem that Apple own the rights to any rectangular shape with curved corners, yes, seriously, you can patent anything under US patenting law. And it is this reason that Apple won its landmark case resulting in $1bn damages and a pending ban on some Samsung products in the US including the Galaxy S2 and S4G. 

The trashy thing about this whole thing is that the UK and South Korean courts have already cleared Samsung of any infringement on intellectual property rights, with the UK ordering Apple to run ads in the UK press sighting this. 

Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, clearly has no integrity with the ongoing war with Android operating systems (the system in place on Samsung's smart phones) but he is just carrying on from Job's crazy 'thermonuclear war' rantings against Android, which you can read here (this is incredibly funny and ethically sickening).

Not only is this bad for Samsung it is also bad for the consumer, with rulings against this stretched definition of a patent being novel and non-obvious, means that innovators and designers may have to reconsider their ideas for fear of falling Apple crushing them from upon high.



Fashion

This week, 51-year-old, British designer, John Galliano, you know the one? The flamboyantly dressed one? No not the one from Eurotrash; firstly that's John Paul Gauttier, who is French and secondly; Eurotrash? seriously? 

The one who was fined €6,000 in September 2011 for anti-Semitic abuse in a French bar that cost his his job as creative director at Dior. Yes that one, well this week he was stripped of his membership in France's prestidious 'Legion of Honour' (sort of like the non-royal version of the honours list) by French President Francois Hollande.

But don't feel to bad for Galliano, things could be on the up. As well as the rumours of his triumphant return to fashion, (not sure how that is gonna go down considering Kate Moss wont even be seen with him any more) The Daily Telegraph are reporting a pending hearing in February 2013 which will apparently see Galliano suing Dior for €15 million in a French labour court concerning legalities in his employment contract. Every cloud...



Sport

Thought the Olympics were over? Think again. The Paralympics began this week with an opening ceremony viewed by 11million that was full of umbrellas (we get it, it rains in Britain) and were they appeared to blow up Stephen Hawking (chill out, they didn't, but the poor editing and camera work made it look like Hawking didn't escape The Big Bang).

You can read who I think will be ones to watch a the Paras here, but so far so good Team GB are currently fourth in the medal table with 3 gold, 9 silver and 5 bronze (at time of writing) but that is not with out it controversies.

GB's Jody Cundy was set to defend his tittle in the 1km time trials at the Velodrome only to be disqualified for a false start. Despite him insisting it was a technical error and the crowd chanting to 'let him ride. let him ride', officals red flagged him and he was out.

Cundy was heard raging, even though he had been taken away deep inside the Velodrome, about how hard he had worked for four years and how he would never have this opportunity again. 

The Commissaires were asked to review the TV footage of the gate not opening, as Cundy states, but they refused. You can help but feel heart broken for him, lets hope he repeats the success of Pendleton and Varnish, who were also disqualified in the final of the women's sprint in the Olympics but came back to break records and win gold!



RIP Neil Armstrong

"a reluctant American hero who always believed he was doing his job" said a statement form his family after the 82-year-old passed away due to complications following heart surgery. The first and one of only 12 astronauts who have ever walked on the moon, Armstrong was a true American hero and is greatly admired all over the world. He often expressed disappointment at the abandonment by NASA, of more manned missions to the moon. 

A very private man he allowed NBC a rare interview three months ago, which I can not find (if you can comment it and I link it in), so for now you can watch this interview here. 



This week, everyone is;

Watching Pixar's Brave. Still topping the UK box office charts with a story of a Scottish princess destined to change her fate.

Reading 'The Hairy Dieters' as it finally eclipses Fifty Shades' rule of the book chart. 



Good News Everyone...

Soldiers are lining up in their birthday suits to salute Prince Harry in support after the leaked nude photos of him enjoying a party made it to the front page of The Sun. You can see some photos here. Enjoy!

RED

Inspired by Warren Ellis's three part miniseries and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who is no stranger to action films (Constantine, Transformers, Salt, G.I. Joe and not to mention having a helping hand in The Matrix's release), RED (2010) was surely destined for success.

And it doesn't disappoint.

Frank Mosses (Bruce Willis) is a retired black-ops agent quietly receiving his pension checks in Ohio until there is a raid on his house and Mosses is forced to seek out Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), the customer service call centre worker at the pension office that Mosses has been building a bond with over the phone.

Knowing that there are people out to kill him and now Sarah, he is now on the run and a mission to discover why he is wanted dead, while Sarah inadvertently is living out her fantasy novel reads in Jewel-in-the-Nile-style.

It is not a film that is pretending to be anything more then what it says on the tin, an action comedy. Except for maybe the political side towards the end and the idea that the worlds spies where once filled with integrity and honour, as some other reviewers have pointed out, but it is all done with good hard action and a lovely gooey centre.

It is well edited and well cast; Helen Mirren is great fun and looks divine; I find Karl Urban a pleasure in most films and he is no exception here as the tough CIA agent with cute hair, William Cooper. The music choices are good, comedic highs and some action thrilling intensity match the cheeky action wonderfully.

It is a sleek and smooth film with a nice, refreshing style of comedy that I would definitely recommend.

Last Night's TeeVee

My evening began with a hurried dash for the remote control when I suddenly realised that it was twenty past eight and I was missing the Great British Bake Off (BBC 2 8:00pm).

Now I know this show isn't for everyone but I find its gentle pace and quiet approach just what I need after a long day.It like what the amateur bakers say about bread making being therapeutic, it's exactly like that, only I find it better to just watch.

It is so fascinating to watch the contestants try to master the technical challenge, which is marked blind, it is as though all the little loaf of plaited bread shows every different type of personality and how they deal with pressure and following instructions

Last nights episode consisted of flat breads, and eight-plaited loaf and some delicious bagels, I'll admit it, they're a weakness. But beneath the golden crust exterior of this show there is the underlying nature of the production crew, presenters, contestants and importantly the judges willing everyone to do a good, clean, bake because of their shared love of baking and eating. Last years program gave an average 3lb weight gain among the crew and I am going to estimate at least that for the viewers at home!

This is lovely telly to unwind to, I highly recommend it. And I also recommend Accused (BBC 1 9:00pm), it was a great night for British made television. This on off drama part of a series of BBC Accused, looked at gangs and gun crime. Apart from a few stereotypical aspects, one-parent family, council estate, wayward ring leader whose mother was a 'slag' it was very well scripted and acted.

Mo's story starts when she refuses to be pressured by gang members to close her shop for the day in a mark of respect for a boy who dies in a road collision. This upsets the gang who take there revenge on the people she loves.

Olivia Colman, who I have recently been watching in Peep Show, was brilliant as the grieving mother Sue Brown. Colman gave some really beautiful moments that made Anne-Marie Duff look like she was back in her collage play. I was a little unconvinced of Thomas Brodie-Sangster but he is young and will probably be fine actor.

The premise of these dramas is that you see the defendant in the dock at the beginning of the show and then unravels the details as to why they are there and whether they will be found guilty or not. Almost like you would actually see if you were the judge seeing the defendant then seeing the evidence, but I guess this is the point. Being a judge for an hour, something a bit different for a Tuesday evening.

This is the second series of Accused as the first was very successful it is a good format and having only watched this one I will be watching more.

The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism (2010) is a film that has gone to a great deal of effort to create depth of character and a believable, atmospheric setting, which it should be highly praised for because it does a good job and that is rare in films from this supernatural/horror genre.

In its well shot found footage style it is the story of a preacher, Reverend Cotton Marcus, who has lost his faith and feels that he can no longer dupe people into thinking exorcism is the answer to problems that essentially they need a doctor for. He agrees for a film crew to follow him to his last exorcism to show how much of a charade his profession is. Obviously, his last exorcism is a little more unusual than his previous endeavours.

It has a well written script which is helped made believable by the little-known, but accomplished actors. Patrick Fabian who plays Reverend Marcus has been in everything from the original 90210 to Star Trek and CSI but after over 20 years of acting this is considered his break-out moment. And he does himself justice, his lovely laid back mannerisms and soft tone help you warm to his character instantly, this is important as the Reverend has essentially been lying to vulnerable people for the last 30 years.

The gentle, steady pace of the beginning was enjoyable and gave the film good structure and balance. German born director Daniel Stamm did well to use the documentary style camera shots without them seeming laboured or unnatural.

Everything in the film was really wonderful, scary, intense, sad and, most importantly, believable. Right up to the last 15 minutes, it almost becomes a completely different film. It feels as though the producers were not brave enough to go with a more quieter, and perhaps in real-life terms, more disturbing ending.This was a major disappointment or brilliant surprise if you were hoping for more visible horror.

A sequel to the film has been verified and it is said that Ashley Bell, who played her part wonderfully innocent and giggly, will reprise the role of Nell for the second movie. However Stamm will not be directing which maybe a costly move given the direction the franchise may be swaying; into the over-populated corner of your everyday slasher/jumper horror. Well costly to the story, not pocket linings.

Ice Age 4 Melts

Having originally gone to see Ponyo on the big screen I was almost unconsoulable when they ushers told us that the screen was broke and that they can 'upgrade' us to Ice Age 4 in 3D. Upgrade? Upgrade!

I haven't even seen Ponyo yet and I already know I love it, as for Ice Age, none of these disgustingly fickle films are going to be even half way decent enough for me to consider watching the trailer let alone consider it an upgrade.

So as you can tell I went in with no preconceptions at all... erm, well, anyway.

I do not know whether it was because of the 3D or the fact that I have only seen the other 3 films on television that I thought that the animation had improved a little, not enough to detract from the various holes in science and character building.

The plot, well what can I say, I have forgotten it already, it was so clumsy and heavily burdened by the producer's own greedy eyes on the dollar signs. The usual 'characters' are here along with a shed load of light-comic-relief characters to try and distract the viewer from the lack of believable story.

There was a weird love triangle between two mammoths and a rat called Lewis who was awkwardly stuck in the friend zone, some grotesque American high school side-plot that was filled with poor acting skills and a Granny who's senile ramblings made no ground-breaking leaps to helping children-grandparent relations.

I did enjoy Nick Frost as Flynn, he had a few good one-liners and Peter Dinklage actual voice acting was fine as Captain Gut but was over shadowed by the insulting attempts to parallel him with Captain Ahab from Moby Dick.

Drifting the continent in search of a decent script writer.

I have read other reviews that claim the franchise has run out of steam but quite frankly the franchise melted quarter of the way through Ice Age 1. The thing that annoys me, and it happens with children's book too, is that the people behind films like this just have no conviction in the story or depth of character because in their minds they are thinking "kids, it's a kids movie".

Yes they are kids. But kids not a theatre full of potatoes. They have brains and are able to perceive complex characters and original plots. Just look at the continuing success of Pixar and Studio Ghibli, they regularly produce beautiful films that children and adults often can get lost in.

Films like Ice Age often get confused and mixed in with films like Toy Story or Spirited Away when really they are not even close to being in the same league. They are the trashy rom-coms of the children's animation world, a money spinner for Hollywood and the A-Listers who have fallen on hard times or just can not act.

Needless to say I did not enjoy Continental Drift it drifted from the screen into my stony, glazed-over, eyes and straight back out through my ears. A terrible film milking the family franchise for overt financial reasons dressed up as heartfelt life lessons that children of all ages can enjoy, Martino and Thurmeier you sicken me.

Pick of the Paralympics

So as the world starts to pack down its news tents and media hubs in London’s east end and the reports and articles look to wrap up the golden success of team GB at the London Olympics not a mention goes to the pending Paralympics which hopes to be Britain’s greatest medal haul yet.

Out of all the 13 Paralympics there have been Great Britain has won a total of 1426 medals (493 gold) and is only second to the USA, we should be making a real deal about passing the 500 gold medal mark in London 2012.

The Paralympics began in 1948 with a small group of British WWII veterans and has gone from strength to strength. This year, the 14th Paralympic games, there are to be over 500 games in 21 competitive sports and over 4200 athletes and it is all going to be captured for our viewing pleasure on Channel 4 with what is set to be the largest media coverage of the Paralympics ever.

So what better time then to get clued up on the hottest Papalympian sporting talent on offer this summer?

Pearson

Lee Pearson 

The Olympic Equestrian team may have waited 60 years for their gold medal but Paralympian Pearson has been trotting them out since 2000.With 9 Paralympic golds already he is looking to expand on the British dominance in the Para-equestrian events at London 2012.

Expect to see Paralympic Team GB galloping to success between 30th August to 4th September.

The Quadfather. 

Peter Norfolk

Otherwise known as Peter Norfolk, at the age of 51 he is one of Britain's most talented wheelchair tennis players with 19 Gram Slams, 3 Championships and 4 Paralympic medals (2 gold). 

London 2012 sees Norfolk trying to defend his Paralympic men's singles title. He is also squad leader for GB wheelchair tennis team that are hoping to make some medal gains in the women's singles and doubles.

Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker

Lucy Shuker British number 1 and world number 10 wheelchair tennis player is hoping to grab her first Paralympic medal this year. After only turning pro in 2002 she seems to have the the same British luck the able-bodied competitors have had. But can she be spared on by the fantastically confident Murray Olympic gold? 

Shuker's doubles partner Jordanne Whiley is also hoping to make an impact this year. Whiley was the world's junior number 1 Chapion in 2009 and this year has seen both Whiley and Shuker playing very well , making it to the Wimbeldon wheelchair finals they lost out to Ester Vergeer and Aniek von Koot of the Netherlands.

Whiley and Shuker

This was perhaps expected given that Vergeer is currently playing with an unprecedented 457 match winning streak. She hasn't lost a match since January 2003 and with 42 Grand Slams, 22 Championships and 5 Paralympic titles she is the biggest threat to all wheelchair tennis players at London 2012.

The tennis will start on Saturday 1st September.

Eleanor Simmonds MBE

At just 17 she already has an MBE and 2 gold Paralympic medal. In Beijing she was the youngest British athlete at the games (just 13) and will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of other great swimmers such as Tricha Zorn, the most decorated Paralympian of all time with 51 medals in total (37 gold).

Eleanor Simmonds

In 2008 team GB won 41 medals in the pool putting them 4th in the table of medals. This included 11 golds, a number we are hoping to build on this year with excellent dedicated athletes like Simmonds. The swimming events take place throughout the games.

David Weir

David Weir

If Jess Ennis is the face and spirit of the GB Olympic athletics team then David Weir is the very same to the Paralympic team. Heading up the 49 strong squad GB is looking to expand on the progression it made in track and field at Beijing 2008 where they won 2 golds out of a possible 160 placing us 18th in the athletic table.

Weir is again our best hope for gold, with two Paralympic gold under his belt already and a strong, winning performance at the London Marathon earlier this year he is going to be one to watch.

Libby Clegg

Clegg

Current world champion Clegg won a silver in the 2008 100m and we will all be routing for her to repeat the success she has had in the IPC Athletics European Championships where she won the 100m and 200m. This is going to be a very exciting competition for Clegg. 

The athletics start on Thursday 30th August and continue right up to the closing ceremony.

Darren Kenny OBE

We all know who Chris Hoy is but what about Darren Kenny? Well there is a reason he is an OBE and that is because of his 15 gold medal success, 5 of which are Paralympic golds. 

Darren Kenny

Kenny will be wanting to dominate the velodrome and replicate the record-breaking success of the Olympic team which should not be too hard to envision given the golden performance made in Beijing 2008, 16 golds and 4 silver.

Navigating the Liverpool World Museum

The Liverpool World Museum is the Museum closest to my heart. I remember visiting as a child, a school trip or a family outing. Then I was the one who took my younger sisters and now I take my little boy almost on a weekly basis. I love the Liverpool World Museum and I don't care who knows it.

For me and my little honey bee there is a fine art of making your visit to the museum efficient and educational, we add a new fact each floor, each week. So here is our guide to the museum and the parts you simply must see and what to expect.

The easily accessible lobby has plenty of locker storage for coats etc, which, no matter what the weather is outside is always a good idea because the Liverpool World Museum can get hot, the clean glass roof providing beautiful light but just as much heat. We never usually stop here until we are on our way out so it is straight to the lifts.

There are two main lifts and one sneakily hidden away at the backs of the floors 2-5, this is good to know if you have a pram as during the holidays the lifts can be a real nightmare to navigate. If you are lucky enough to be without a pram hitch the lift straight to the top and you can walk your way down floor by floor without the hike up the stairs. The wonderful thing is that there is a toilet on every floor (except the foyer) and a separate baby change so you don't have to worry about little legs needing a dash to the loo!

Space and Time is what you will find on floor 5 it seems a little dated and carries the scars of the more rambunctious children nonetheless the level information is good and explained in a simple manner. The Planetirum is also on this floor but tickets to see the shows must be collected on the ground floor at the front desk, all shows are free and have age appropriateness attached.This floor, that I like to refer to as the museums forgotten attic, covers the basics of space related topics and is best for the over 5s. There is a cafe serving hot food on this floor also but can be pricey, tea is a standard £1.50.

Down the stirs to the natural world, floor 4, and you can travel back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. The wonderful little tunnel is dark and bleak and gives you a feel for the time the pterosaurs lived in. It's a great space for spotting dinosaurs and learning their names. At the end of the tunnel there is the picnic area, basic chairs and tables but helps keep the cost down if your on a budget and you can buy tea from the cafe and drink it in the picnic area. The rest of the floor has various life-sized models of animals from around the world and is great for children of all ages, the three dinosaur skeletons are also impressive and my son loves them.

Floor 3 is where you get to explore world cultures. I must admit that until recently it was a floor that me and the honey bee would skip because it is for older children and the new section is almost like walking into a totally different museum. It's beautifully and cleanly laid out with excellent work made on the information panels but really is aimed a little more maturely than the rest of the museum, which is welcome break for some parents and it has great air conditioning. This is the floor were perhaps my only criticism comes in. For all the lovely work done to show the cultures from around the world the British heritage is somewhat overlooked but if you have been to the new Museum of Liverpool then would have had your fair share.

The second floor is where most children have the most fun because it is full of bugs. Best to start through the left door so that you can see the big fly wobble its' head, not usually a big winner with tots. Here is were you can see live specimens of Pink Salmon Spiders, Hermit Crabs, Indian Ground Beetles and Cockroaches. The best is always the ants, they have a close-up camera charting their every move and it is just fascinating to watch them work. The floor is full of draws that you can pull out and look at hundreds of different insects, the giant varieties always attract a good deal of attention. The museum staff on this floor are always wonderfully helpful and informative they are more then keen to help you so just ask. You can also touch a good amount of natural specimens here too, shells, skulls, crystals quartz, seeds, it really is great for kids.

The special exhibits are also on this floor which change every 5-6 months, at the time of writing, the museum are displaying a collection of beautifully presented wildlife photographs. Although it is not as interactive as previous exhibits, the back-lit pictures are captivating even to the smallest of eyes.

The 1st floor offers something for everyone, again this is a floor that has suffered from funding but everyone loves the fish. The divine colours swirl and dash and all, including the inconsolable newborn, can do nothing but be drawn into their peaceful world. If you are able to catch this floor at the right time you may even be able to touch a starfish or crab.

Back to the ground floor and from here you can really appreciate the Quetzalcoatlus skeleton flying high above you. I love this museum the most because it is not pretentious and welcomes everyone equally, families, students, tourists. It is so accessible and laid back, they want you to learn but on your own term and at your own pace. Despite its continuing cut backs the staff are always polite and helpful, the special exhibits are varied and nicely organised and more importantly my son is so comfortable and at ease there he asks to take his shoes off all the time, it really is his second home.

Film Review: The Hunter

Defoe gives a wonderfully convincing performance of a mercenary hunter after the illusive, presumed extinct Tasmanian Tiger, but that's just what he does.

It is his conviction for the Martin character that carries most of the other cast members which is not necessarily because of their performances. The slow pace of the film meant that deep, full characterisation was a must but unfortunately they were stereotypical and weak. Sam Neil goes some way to give shape to a confused character that is never resolved or addressed, you think he is going to go one way but instead he goes nowhere.

The story is predictably laid out and because of the pace it is hard to think of anything other then willing the film to get to the point. 

The soundtrack and landscape scenes of Australia are to the films credit often atmospheric and vast, this helped to give reason to the slow momentum of the story but not enough. The direction let the plot and cast down some of the scenes were unnecessary and some are just boring pretending to be 'arty'.

It is not an ill-conceived film but it is forgettable, it feels like it has something to say but forgets to say it.

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Gold

After the tears and disappointment of four weeks ago only the unfaithful were contemplating a repeated defeat. On a high from the Super Saturday of the gold Olympic success, team GB came out fighting again on Sunday Andy Murray finally got a win he has been training for and truly deserved.

A week of tremendous work from the British number one tennis athlete came with an astonishing penultimate battle against the world number two Novac Djockovic, who can move effortlessly around the court and is renowned for his powerful serves and baseline returns.

The play from this match alone was enthralling, the superb players creating rallies full of dynamic and nail-biting shots, it really was a joy to watch. Murray played the best tennis of his life and looked confident and focused as he beat the Serbian in straight sets. It was this match that gave us all, and Murray himself,  the belief that he was in with a good chance of winning gold.

The replicated conditions were perfect for Murray, who clearly wanted this win more, even though this could have given Federer a Career Golden Slam. Despite Andy Murray starting well he knew that he could not let his guard down with the wall that is Roger Federer, as he has an unbelievable talent of being able to swing back into the game at any moment. The Swiss is considered the best tennis player of all time because of his ability to play consistently on all court types and to be able to have the lightest touch for a surprise serve and volley or power down to the baseline.

Murray was able to keep his focus and break serve early on, and with the crowd behind him it was difficult for Roger to find the momentum to come back, at one point he had not won a game for one hour. There were some excellent heart-stopping net rallies and some of the ground strokes Murray was hitting were beautiful. Although Murray was finding it difficult to find his first serve at times, his second serve was full of accuracy and power that Federer did not expect, causing some costly unforced errors.

The better player won on the day, the ever cool Federer taking defeat graciously, Murray declaring it his "biggest win". Now the pressure is back on with all eyes on a British Gram Slam win. Murray is yet to confirm his appearance at the US Open, due to start on 27th August, a decision he says he will make after he touches down in Canada for the Toronto Masters. But could this confidence boost be the one he needs for the win?

Questions too for Federer, is he now curving out of his peak? Has the winning of Wimbledon 2012 allowed him to feel as though he has done enough in men's singles tennis and lost his momentum? He too is yet to confirm the US Open along with many other tennis players who have pushed themselves in the London 2012 Olympics.

As we wait for the answers we bask in the golden glory of Murray and Team GB.

Comic Book Review: Supergirl: Candor

Feeling the stress of being a young, beautiful, talented woman trying to blossom into the world only to find that the pressure is too much and you feel pushed into a confusing identity crisis that leads to searching for oneself on the darker side of life? No? Well it sounds familiar at least. It is the tragic and clichéd tale that rears its ugly head when someone is desperately trying to reinvent a character.  And that is what we are getting with Supergirl: Candor.

Graphically parts of Candor are beautiful thanks to Ian Churchill and Ed Benes, Amada Conner’s pencilling of Power Trip #4 does not hold up in comparison, her Supergirl becomes less expressive and looks much older. The colouring of Power Trip #4 is also disappointing and a little childish, while Rod Reis clearly has a matured craft that give the divinely pencilled contours of muscles and hair maximum impact.

As far as the story is concerned it remains weak and un-toned, Powergirl drains pages of energy as she sulks and bounds around like a spoilt woman-child.

Overall the flat storyline and dialogue from Joe Kelly and Greg Rucka ruins any work the artists have done to lift the edition. Ultimately its difficult to care about what happens to a young woman in the peek of fitness who happens to have ultimate super powers and much less Powergirl and her dilemma of how to cover her cleavage

Marriage is Full of Bad Movies.

If there is one good reason for me to openly support the sanctity of marriage then it would have to be my new flat screen LCD Smart TV. Complete with my new Love Film online streaming package, as you may have guessed, I have been watching a lot of films recently (considering we had to forgo the honeymoon for our endless viewing pleasure, I am happy with the compromise).

Sounds great, yes? Newly married couple curled up on the couch at the weekend after the working week, how idyllic. Well it is but, there are just more bad movies then good and we find ourselves trolling through the titles, debating if it is going to be a waste of our time or not, and that kind of takes the fun out it.

The bad films are bad for so many reasons but one thing that stands out from the random selection of films I have seen recently, and I think I am not the first to speculate this, is that no one in Hollywood has any more original ideas. If it's not just the plain old obvious remake (The Amazing Spider-Man 2012) it's a prequel because they hammered out as much as they possibly could with the original storyline (Alien prequel Prometheus 2012) or just some rehash of a classic story (Show White And The Huntsman 2012 and Gnomeo and Juliet 2011).

Also thrown into the mix is the gross misuse of typecast actors such as Alan Rickman in Help I'm A Fish (2000), clearly trying to use him to replicate his success in The Lion King; Christian Bale as an emotionless crime fighter in Equilibrium (2002); Aston Kucher as a goofy romantic lead in Valentine's Day (2010); Morgan Freeman narrating things in The Bucket List (2007); Nic Cage fighting his inner crazy man in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011) or Liam Neeson punching organised crime in the balls in Unknown (2011).

Then there is the old actors who have come in to a more accessible price range for amateurish directors that just end up miscast, Al Pacino in 88 Minutes (2007), or just blatantly made a fool out of, Val Kilmer in The Red Planet (2000).

Perhaps the casting idea behind a lot of these films is that the name of the actor drawing customers to the box office, that age-old trick. But, this can be used when producers panic about a weak film and try to throw as many names at you as possible, in a desperate bid that you may just like one of them enough to see the movie. This was used in Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) and Valentine's Day (2010), where the ending credits were too long to fit on the one reel of film.

Occasionally there are films that just are what they are, not ground-breaking or thought provoking (or funny) and The Bounty Hunter (2010) was just that. I knew I was going to be subjected to Gerard Butler pouting and shooting and Jennifer Aniston flicking her hair but I watched it anyway, nothing really happened and it was completely predictable.

As much as Butler and Aniston wasted my time the disappointments are the hardest to take, Repo Men (2010) had what could have been an excellent premise but the execution missed the target by miles; bad acting, poor script, huge plot holes. The very same thing happened to The Adjustment Bureau (2011), "...those are the guys who hurt your ankle" is actually a line from a pinnacle moment in the film. No, seriously. Other disappointments that I have seen this year are John Carter (2012), for obvious, convoluted reasons and Prometheus (2012). The opening scenes of Ridley Scott's long anticipated prequel are stunning, then to be confronted by a crew devoid of all logic and mission directive? Well I just wanted my money back.

But enough. Enough of the bad and mediocre movies, what of the better films I have seen this year?

Most of the best films that I have seen so far this year have all been in the cinema with the exception of Source Code from 2011. Not the best film but well made and acted, I enjoyed its unusual plot and surprisingly beautiful score. My cinema lust perhaps says a lot about me and how I am heavily seduced by media and marketing or maybe it has just been a hell of a year for comic book hero fans. 

The Amazing Spiderman (2012) was well cast but remained a little rough around the edges of its plot (The Lizard, his motives, his aim, was weak) and the smell of desperation from Sony Pictures was a little off-putting. It had a hard act to follow after the massive success of The Avengers (2012), which was pitched just right in all aspects, and coming out just before the conclusion of the Batman trilogy would be tough for most films.

The Dark Night Rises (2012) was of course one of the better films I have seen, however, I felt disappointed because I found The Dark Night had a stronger plot, script and action scenes. As an end to a trilogy it was excellent considering the poor reputation third films usually have (Alien 3, Matrix Revolutions, and Terminator 3).

So to my stand out film of the year so far...

The Grey.

I thought this was just going to be Liam Neeson punching wolves but was so taken back with the first death scene; absolutely breathtaking (no pun intended). It was classically plotted but in such a wonderfully atmospheric and bleak manner.The films positive approach to the inevitability of death is refreshing and compelling.

Well written, shot, cast and acted, this is highly recommended and goes some way to restore my faith in film making with conviction and clear vision that the majority of films lack.

Book Review: Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

An easily readable story with classic fairytale twists and turns. However if you are looking for depth and realistic characters step away from the Nightingale Floor.


The characters are predictable and largely boring making them hard to warm to. You wont find any good female characters here either; they are the usual shy and retiring types. I did find the idea of the Nightingale Floor to be intriguing but was disappointed to find that this was not in fact the authors own creation and I think this showed in Hearn’s lack of explanation into how the floor was made and put together, which is a little annoying considering it is the title of the book.


Predictable, simplistic and stale, needless to say I will not be tempting to cross the Nightingale Floor to reach for the sequels.

Book Review: The White Tiger by Aravid Adiga

This book is full of polar opposites, black and white and light and dark that reveal the greyness of India and allows Adiga to create two Indias. With one of the most impressive characters that I have ever read Balram also has two sides that are used skilfully to reveal a story of a boy trying to mature alongside his country.


Honest and disturbing Balram is not a man I am in a hurry to meet yet probably already have but haven’t noticed because I am what Balram calls ‘asleep’; asleep to the darker sides that are visible even in the lightest of places and people. He, like the two Indias, is half this, half that and ultimately ‘half-baked’.


The reader is pulled around with him from his self-educated and insightful perspective and is shown the corruption and segregation that many Indians face as well as the opportunity and wealth they aspire to. Balram is able to see the people and the city for what they really are and yet he acknowledges his own hypocrisy in his desperation to fulfil the expectations of a man of his status.


A remarkable book with a fresh readability and overall cohesion that makes every page turn a moment for reflection of the two parallels being suggested in every sentence.