Off Topic The Review Thread
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Trying to watch The Hack on ITVX. The show is ok with David Tenant and that little bloke from Detectorists. Anyway, the review is more really of ITVX, a channel I’ve not used before and one whose operation, with what seems like 10-12 minutes of show time, with 3-5 mins of adverts, frustrating and all but unwatchable. Clearly designed to get the audience to cough up a fiver or so a month to lose the adverts, it will have the impact on this viewer of my not returning to the channel.
Do you use a Firestick?
Jailbreak it, then chuck this on...
https://teatv.download/teatv-for-firestick/
Access to loads of shows and films - a short ad before you start viewing, but not cluttered throughout the program
I thought it was quite predictable and the Jude Law character implausible
The best part for me was the Mk3 Jag XJ6
I'm working my way through the Taskmaster back catalogue at the moment - now that IS funny
I'm easily pleased - thought it was about a 7/10 - have seen far worse
Got given a last minute ticket for Boomtown Rats 50th anniversary tour tonight, at the Barrowlands in Glasgow, my favourite venue in town. Thought I wasn't that familiar with their back catalogue, but recognised a lot more tunes than I thought. For a bunch of guys in their 70s they put on a good show.
Started off with a movie chronicalling them over 50 years, from early days in Dublin to Live Aid and beyond. Then the band came on, Geldoff looks well and his voice was good. He had great rapport with the crowd too - Saturday night in Glasgow not a hard crowd though if you are on form!
Only issue - I think people over 6ft should be made to stand at the back of a venue
Started off with a movie chronicalling them over 50 years, from early days in Dublin to Live Aid and beyond. Then the band came on, Geldoff looks well and his voice was good. He had great rapport with the crowd too - Saturday night in Glasgow not a hard crowd though if you are on form!
Only issue - I think people over 6ft should be made to stand at the back of a venue
I think Kiwi was in it (in high heels)
Ultra by Tobias Jones - book about the history and culture of the Italian football ultras, by a bloke who somehow embedded himself with the Cosenza Commando Ultra Prima Linea group. Cosenza is a tiny club in the Deep South of Italy, with a seriously committed group of fans. The book focuses on these, but also covers the history and actions of other clubs ultra groups.
Really well written and put together book, doesn’t shy away from the violence, politics - both sides, Cosenza tends to be more left wing, but the ultra mentality - finding enemies everywhere - is more naturally extreme right, and it seems that even the old traditionally left wing fans like AC Milan, Livorno, Sampdoria, Bologna and Roma are drifting towards neutrality or being ‘apolitical’, while the right wing groups in Inter, Juventus, Verona and of course Lazio are getting louder.
Highly recommended reading.
Really well written and put together book, doesn’t shy away from the violence, politics - both sides, Cosenza tends to be more left wing, but the ultra mentality - finding enemies everywhere - is more naturally extreme right, and it seems that even the old traditionally left wing fans like AC Milan, Livorno, Sampdoria, Bologna and Roma are drifting towards neutrality or being ‘apolitical’, while the right wing groups in Inter, Juventus, Verona and of course Lazio are getting louder.
Highly recommended reading.
I saw Bob Geldof and I think a couple of the Rats in his band in a club called Rolling Stone in Milan in about 1990. Surprised me how good they were, had low expectations. That was a great club, bit like the Brixton Academy, standing only but a sloping dance floor. I’m 6ft so no view issues, but I now have to look out for my 5 foot 5 wife….Got given a last minute ticket for Boomtown Rats 50th anniversary tour tonight, at the Barrowlands in Glasgow, my favourite venue in town. Thought I wasn't that familiar with their back catalogue, but recognised a lot more tunes than I thought. For a bunch of guys in their 70s they put on a good show.
Started off with a movie chronicalling them over 50 years, from early days in Dublin to Live Aid and beyond. Then the band came on, Geldoff looks well and his voice was good. He had great rapport with the crowd too - Saturday night in Glasgow not a hard crowd though if you are on form!
Only issue - I think people over 6ft should be made to stand at the back of a venue
Barrowlands is my favourite venue - anywhere (and I've been to a lot). Back in the 50s and 60s it was a ballroom, and it still retains the sprung floor that gig-goers can bounce up and down on. It holds about 1700, all standing, and the atmosphere is always electric.
When you come down the road from Glasgow Cross and the Tollgate and you see the sign then you already know you're in for a great night...
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Once inside you head up the stairs, past the lower level bar and t-shirt sales to the ballroom itself. It's a big wide open space, so even if you're at the back you're still not that far away from the stage. Me n Mrs SM are 5'8 (jnr is 6ft, lucky bastard) so try to get a bit forward, and even though the sides are raised a step this didn't help last night, **** in front of me was about 6'4!
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There's bars on both sides, although I generally drive most of the time. The crowd are always up for it as there's lots of bars all around (especially if you are Celtic fan, it's not far from Parkhead) and a ten minute walk from the city centre with all the entertainment available there.
It does have it's dark side, it's where Bible John stalked his victims back in the 60s before killing them.
They've recently started some refurbs to the place, which I'm a bit pissed off about. At the end of the night they open the back stairs, and the walls used to be covered with hundreds of old gig posters going back to the early 70s, including Alex Harvey, Bowie, and many more. The walls have now been painted over - I hope they do some form of restoration or artwork commemorating this history of the venue.
Frankenstein
Despite its many flaws, sometimes wooden acting, it’s over and obvious emotional scenes and dated looking CGI, I enjoyed this movie.
Del Toro keeps to the original 19th c. story line but does the seemingly vogue idea of jumping around with the timeline.
I enjoyed the Goth settings old broken down castle and the clothing, a classic book faithfully reproduced by probably the ideal director but Im getting bored of directors who have a good rep, they don’t think they have to try as much, Del Toro, Anderson, Lanthimos
6 3/4 out of 10
Despite its many flaws, sometimes wooden acting, it’s over and obvious emotional scenes and dated looking CGI, I enjoyed this movie.
Del Toro keeps to the original 19th c. story line but does the seemingly vogue idea of jumping around with the timeline.
I enjoyed the Goth settings old broken down castle and the clothing, a classic book faithfully reproduced by probably the ideal director but Im getting bored of directors who have a good rep, they don’t think they have to try as much, Del Toro, Anderson, Lanthimos
6 3/4 out of 10
I watched the new Luc Besson version of Dracula last night - a different take on your standard Bram Stoker version.
Again, a lot of style over substance, but it was enjoyable. Delves into Draculas back story, the death of his wife during a battle with an invading Ottoman army, and how he blamed God. Then his search for her throughout Europe, finally coming across a picture of Mina whilst torturing Jonathan Harker at his castle.
Lots of gothic scenary and costumes as the action moves to Paris instead of London, then on to a great battle at Draculas fortress in Transylvania.
As I said, different take on the story, about 6.5/10
Hand and Flowers - Tom Kerridge’s place in Marlow. Had lunch there yesterday. Fantastic service and nice food, starter was mackerel and as seems to the cheffy thing, a decent vet would have had the fish swimming again in five minutes. Very underdone for my taste. Main was chicken for me and trout for Mrs. All very nice. Lunch menu is £55 for two courses but with the generous amuse bouche you really get three. Add a drink and it’s £150 for the meal for two. Overall pretty good and a nice experience, if a tad expensive for lunch.