#it's like when he thought it was so funny to put 'love cliff richard but please don't tease' in god gave rock and roll to you

[lock-my-feelings-in-a-jar]

Russ Ballard producing Daltrey's album

1975 Interview

Russ Ballard has something special. Call it professionalism, the sure touch, luck, talent, a mixture of the lot if you like, but everything he's involved in seems to turn out pretty good, even when it's something completely new to him, like record producing.

When he was fourteen, he wrote his first song and sold it to The Shadows after having had the sense to demo it after their style. Having mastered the guitar and scored quite a bit of acclaim for his playing, he turned to keyboards and now nobody hearing him play would think he hadn't been brought up on them. Argent reached the height of their success when he was with them, he gave Colin Blunstone a monster hit with I Don't Believe In Miracles and now Ride A Rock Horse is enjoying considerable favour. Its producer? Russ Ballard! The man, wearing his customary shades, exudes an air of quiet confidence. He can afford to. He's well respected as a musician and as a writer and he's now in a position many people could envy. After all, a singer of Daltrey's calibre doesn't call up just anybody and say "How about producing my album?"! What is really surprising is that Roger should ignore all the established record producers in favour of Russ, who has only ever produced one album before in his life and that was the solo one he made after leaving Argent.

How did his new role come about? "Well, I worked with Daltrey on his first album, played a little drums and piano on it, but I didn't produce that one, just put in some ideas. He must have liked them because when he was planning his second, he just asked me if I wanted to do it." Russ explained. In an issue of Beat dated April 1966, Daltrey himself described his voice in pretty disparaging terms. "I don't have a good voice, no-one needs to tell me that. I'm a screamer with a group and I'm happy. I'm not worried about my voice, though, it is developing and I can notice the change." He also added "I'd get a real kick if I could have a proper girl vocal group backing." It's taken nine years, but now he's achieved what he hoped for, a voice which no-one can deny is pretty exceptional, and backing singers led by Marsha Hunt, care of Russ Ballard! "I was involved with everything." said Russ. "Going through songs with him, deciding what musicians should be used, who would be good for this and who for that." For a reluctant producer, who admits that "I'm not really into production, even though it's a creative thing, I'd rather be an artist." Russ had some pretty definite ideas as to his treatment of the album. "I deliberately kept his voice well up because in so many recordings I've heard of Roger, he's been immersed in sound. He's got such a powerful and such a good voice which contains many aspects that people haven't heard before. What I set out to do on the album was to expose all those voices for the first time. I don't think it is a good thing for a producer to put his own standpoint on an album, the most important thing is to project the artist." Russ thinks that Daltrey's film work has given a lot more confidence and he also found getting to know him has radically changed the concept he had of The Who. "Many people would imagine Daltrey as an ego tripper, but he's not in the slightest. Before I got to know him well, I was under the impression that The Who were Pete Townshend's baby. But speaking to Roger, listening to his ideas, I think that a hell of a lot of his ideas must have always gone into The Who, a lot more than people think."

It was originally Roger's idea to record an album of his early influences. Then he changed rock horses in mid-stream. "By then we'd already recorded Walking The Dog and that Beachboys sounding song, so we were lumbered with them." The second idea was to project the different sides of Daltrey's voice in a collection of mixed rockers and ballads, including three songs of Russ's, Come And Get Your Love, Proud and Near To Surrender. "We didn't actually discuss the point but I felt he wanted to make a heavier album than the one we'd originally planned. Yet not totally heavy, but a record which would compliment the heavier stuff with lighter stuff. Right from the very first session when he sang the first song I could see his voice was so much better, I feel it's improved tremendously since the early Who days even though I think he had a good voice in 1964."

The next thing to decide on was the overall sound and the arrangements. Ex-Shadows drummer Tony Meehan was the man who worked on these. "I decided to make the sound quite sparse,-" explained Russ, "- rather than over-producing it. Some people just don't know where to stop. I decided that if a song called for piano and nothing else, that's what I was going to do." (Hence Phillip Goodhand Tait's beautiful slow rocker Oceans Away with the composer on piano.) "The most important thing in an arrangement is the song. If it's a good one you should be able to sing it with no backing at all and it should still sound great. If it's not, no matter how many extras you add it won't work." Russ reckons that having been in bands himself definitely helped him as a producer, enabling him to put himself in the artist's shoes. Yet he doesn't think he'd like to produce his own next album entirely alone. "When I was in Argent I found being produced by somebody else was very frustrating because I could tell people were veering away from the original ideas I'd had for my songs. That's why I decided to produce my first solo album, which turned out a bit of a mixture because I had a backlog of work to get out of my system. My next album will be slightly deeper, not so light-hearted. I hope to be co-producing it with Muff Winwood, whom I really admire because he's got such a good ear and can really make a musical point."

At the moment, Russ is doing very well with songs of his which are being covered by other artists. One called Heartbreak, has recently been recorded by Olivia Newton-John and yet another is currently being recorded in L.A. by Stevie Wonder's band. Russ has got a new band together consisting of the ex-drummer from Curly, Alan Wickett, bass player Tony Lester and guitarist Alan Skates- "He really does!" joked Russ. He's got three weeks booked in E.M.I. Studios to get the album done. As for his producing career, it looks like Ride A Rock Horse may be his swansong. What if Roger asks him to produce his third album? "Well… if I want to do what I want to do, that is, sing, play, write and record, I just won't have time to produce anybody." said Russ. There's nothing like getting out when you're on top!

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 13th July

Again, a week with a definite trajectory - from cringeworthy and unfunny "comedy" to a genuinely awesome classic, with a few diversions in the middle. Each song this week felt just a little bit cooler than the last - which is the direction I'd prefer to be going in, to be fair.

What a Mouth (What a North and South) - Tommy Steele (peaked at Number 5)

Are we having a bit of a Cockney moment? I feel like we've had a whole bunch of Cockney music hall songs recently, and I haven't hugely enjoyed any of them (Fings Ain't What They Used to Be being perhaps the guilty exception). And sure enough, here's Tommy, who always sounded a little bit Cockney, here to give us his take on the genre, such as it is.

The overall effect here is a lot like My Old Man's a Dustman, if that song had a brass band, and if the joke was about a man called Jimmy with a big mouth, rather than a dustman. That's literally it, that's the whole joke. Thus we get lots of choruses exclaiming what a mouth / What a mouth / What a north and south / Blimey what a mouth he's got! And in between them all, jokes about needing to feed him with a shovel as a baby, and how a coal delivery man accidentally dropped a load of coal in it when Jimmy got drunk one time and fell asleep in the road - a joke that I'm fairly sure would have been dated even in 1960.

Dated, I say, because the song - surprisingly - isn't an original. Yes, somebody bothered to cover this! There's actually quite a cute story behind it, though, so I won't harp on Tommy too much. The song, you see, was a music original from 1917, but recorded again in 1954 by "The Two Bills from Bermondsey", also known as Bill Burnham and Bill French. Tommy's dad was apparently a huge fan of this song, and told young Tommy that he'd know he made it when he was as big as the two Bills - hence this cover, as a little nod to that. Which is cute, and almost excuses the absolutely dire un-funniness on display here. Almost being the operative, because it really is dire.

I think the worst bit is a bit before the end, where Tommy pretends to have thought the song was over - blimey, I thought it was over, he stammers, and you really wish it was. Sadly, it isn't though, and we have to sit through a final reprieve of the chorus, this time with a thankfully brief bit of backing from a children's chorus. Truly, dreadful stuff. It makes Tommy sound considerably less cool than he was - and I didn't think he was that cool to begin with - and it also just annoys me. Oh lord, oh lummee indeed. Let's hope Cliff can offer us a palate cleanser.

Please Don't Tease - Cliff Richard (1)

Well, I wanted a palate cleanser, and a palate cleanser I got. Because this track, by Cliff, is as clean and simple as it comes, not a joke in sight. Instead, we've just got Cliff's usual earnest performance as he beseeches his love, please don't tease. They've been leading him on, you see: you tell me that you love me baby / Then you say you don't, / You tell me that you'll come on over / Then you say you won't. They're hot and they're cold, they're yes and they're no, as Katy Perry would put it, almost five decades later, and it's driving Cliff mad, he wishes they'd knock it off. It's a relatable situation, wanting to turn a situationship into something a bit more concrete, and I like it, I do.

I have to confess, I don't think Cliff can quite pull off some of the lines, especially the one about how you play it oh so doggone cool. It's just a bit too American, a bit too vernacular for Cliff, who I absolutely can't image ever using the word "doggone" in casual speech. And there's a wider issue, which is that Cliff seems to have committed to sounding like a pleasant young man. You could absolutely do a banging good version of this song with just a bit more venom, but unfortunately, it seems like the venom of songs like Mean Streak has been used up, in favour of Cliff the cuddly teddy bear, who might complain about you leading him on, but would never actually be catty about it, instead begging you off with a "please", for good measure, never getting too worked up or impassioned. Please don't tease, he sings, and it really does come off as a polite request, more than anything.

What coolness there is is absolutely provided by the Shadows - we've got some nice thumpy drumming, and a few little guitar riffs throughout that I quite enjoyed. And the song was actually written by the Shadows' rhythm guitarist, who doesn't get a whole tonne to actually do in the song, but who also gets a nice bit of surfy twanginess about a minute in. So yeah, it's a fine, serviceable song, under the hood - just very Cliff, very 1960 and very pleasant and unbothered-sounding. The combination worked for the public - the song was at Number 1 for a solid three weeks - but hasn't yet earned it a place in my heart. Will Johnny do any better?

Down Yonder - Johnny and the Hurricanes (8)

Hmmm. It's a Johnny and the Hurricanes song, for sure. We've got a rollicking, thumpy beat, we've got Hammond organ, and we've got some saxophone coming in to spice things up in the middle. It's also quite repetitive - something I've realised is quite often the case for Johnny's hits - and of course, crucially, it's a cover of a much older song.

In this case, the song that Johnny's picked is a popular American song from 1921, written by one L. Wolfe Gilbert as a sequel to an earlier 1912 song, Waiting for the Robert E. Lee. That was a song about people waiting for a steamboat - and Down Yonder apparently picked up some of the same characters, focussing more generally on life "down yonder" in the American South. The song debuted in New Orleans and was reportedly very popular in 1921, but became better known in the years since, especially the 1950s for some reason, as an instrumental, with the lyrics seldom heard. So all that does make it a good candidate for what I've decided I'm going to dub "Hurricanification", I guess. People would have known it from the 1950s instrumental versions, plus it had some of that "old-timey song" cred - even if it wasn't a genuine folk song.

Interestingly enough, this song was nowhere near as big of a hit in the US as it was in the UK - in fact, it looks like Johnny and the Hurricanes' following really tailed off in the US at this point, while they were taking off in the UK and Europe more generally. All this would lead them to tour more in Europe, all the way through until 1962, when they would play the Star Club in Hamburg with a little-known local band, originally from Britain, as their opening act - a little outfit called the Beatles, you may have heard of them? Just possibly? Which is a very cool connection to have. They also apparently kept touring Europe until 2005. Again, cool. But no more talk about Johnny and the Hurricanes - there's a new Johnny in town, and he's turned up with an absolute banger!

Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (1)

I know this song already, and have done for some time, and I'm not ashamed to say, I love it. It's a proper rocker, down, dirty and slightly sexy, all about how Johnny's love interest has him shakin' all over when he sees them. When you move in right up close to me, he sings, almost moaning, as grandmas nationwide clutch their pearls, that's when I get the shakes all over me. He's got quivers down his backbone, shakes down his kneebone, even tremors in the thighbone. And even his love doing something as simple as saying goodnight brings that feeling on inside of me. I'm sure it does, Johnny, I'm sure it does...

Joking aside, it's a genuinely awesome song. We start with a jangly guitar riff that repeats throughout to great effect, with this dark, fuzzy bassline, as the drums propel the song on - only to pause, right before the quivers down the backbone line, with a little shimmery, rever-laden guitar chord and a tiny pause, just so we can appreciate how desperately horny Johnny is as he sings the "quivers" line. And then the bass is back in, propelling the song forward and bringing us back into the groove of it all. Because yeah, this song has a groove, for sure, a sort of shuffling creep that just keeps going throughout, dragging you along with it, like it or not.

There's a theatricality to it all, with the pauses and the little voice break on shakin' all over. Heck even the fade out, a delightfully louche-sounding confirmation that you make me shake and I like it baby, manages to sound like a performance, something that Johnny's putting on and exaggerating a bit. Which perhaps shouldn't shock me, as Johnny Kidd and the Pirates were apparently famed for their stage antics. They dressed as pirates - because of course they did - with a galleon for a backdrop and cutlasses. Johnny himself wore an eyepatch, entirely unnecessarily, and from what I can tell from an image search, there seems to have been lots of "tough guy" posturing. It's a hammy, glam, almost camp sensibility that will absolutely be a recurring thread as rock and roll develops into just straight-up rock music. It's not that rock and roll hasn't been silly or theatrical before - I'm thinking of literally anything by Jerry Lee Lewis, and half of Little Richard's output - but it's still nice to see that camp isn't dead. Heck, it's even crossed the Atlantic! More of this, please!

Shakin' All Over's a classic, and I unapologetically love it. It was never not going to be my favourite song for this week. But I still surprise myself every time I listen just how cool it manages to sound. The song's been covered by everyone who is everyone, and there's a reason for that - it's just a bop, plain and simple, with a good balance of solid singing, swagger, sex, silliness and style. Plus some really great guitar work. Go listen, if you haven't already.

Favourite song of the bunch: Shakin' All Over

[magnumdays]

The Episode of Lost Opportunities AKA 2x16

SO I wrote this before watching the promo, then I did and now I know most of us are just FREAKING out about next week (and I’m freaking out the most because ummm they’remakingmyfanficintoanactual EPISODE!!! How does one deal with this????)  but if you want a break from freaking out, here are some thoughts on last night’s episode!

So even though 2x16 was perfectly enjoyable, I’m going to have to officially re-name it “The Episode of Lost Opportunities” because there were so many plots and just tid-bits they could have done great things with.

So yeah not really a review today, instead I’m going to (in true Jenny Nicholson fashion) make a numbered list of things I think they should have added /done something with, in no particular order.

Miss nr. 1. Not having Higgy tease Magnum back with British pet names. I’m honestly devastated by this. Like what would a little sarcastic “come on luv” or a “Dearie, come here” from Juliet have cost them? The closest we got was Babe take our selfie.

Nr. 2. Not having Mr. Dorky Helpful But Cute guy ask Higgy out. I really thought this was where it was going with him being all “it’s just our second date, we met online” and yeah even though he looked about 12, it would have fit the episode. 

Plus they could have had Magnum standing to the side gesturing like “go for it” and her either saying yes or no and later her and Magnum having a little chat about it. The Yes with him being all “I convinced you to do it” proud and also mildly jealous. The No, with her being all “he’s a suspect” or “he went on a love bus tour!” or “I’m not ready, bc of the dead fiance, remember him?”

Nr. 3. Which takes us neatly to - drowned guy should be bringing up some feelings for Juliet as I’m fairly certain back in Day of The Viper they mention something about how Richard washed up on the shores of something-something (I mean obvs he was shot before but I’d still imagine some associations there).

Also her own almost drowning in 1x19 (even if this episode’s dude wasn’t drowned, it did seem so at first and he was still in the water). I just feel maybe there could have been some feelings here that our favorite duo actually talked about. Just a nice little call back to either one of those would have been great. One line! Is that too much to ask for?

Nr. 4 on the list of missed opportunities is for me going to be Theresa (Teresa?). TC’s old flame. And this is a big one! 

I honestly would have loved it if they went with this - as in have him not be so damned noble and let the childhood sweetheart go. Like, why not have them actually try to make a go at it?

Maybe she could have been there with just her boyfriend rather than husband to make it less of a thing and then maybe give it an episode or two and have them talk over the internet before she comes back and they get back together! Because why can’t anyone have a girlfriend? Like why do all of the guys need to be such lone wolves? 

I mean, I get it, because they are a family/brothers, but having even just one more minor female recurring would be interesting and would add dimension to the gang and characters!

Now this is like one of those random side plots that don’t really do much because in the end nothing has changed. Other than us learning a little more about TC, which is nice, but it doesn't seem like it will actually impact future episodes and didn’t really connect a whole lot with the episode. TC is just off getting closure to a relationship we never knew he needed closure for. Which means we’re not super invested.

I feel like this is a bit of a problem with the show in general. We get really nice and moving and character developing stuff for characters we haven’t been shown to need, as with Kumu last week and now TC. Rick and his dying “dad” Ice-Pick and even Shammie with his lying army buddy. Even Gordon and his son. Jin and his sisters and that’s why he steals.

These things could all have had 100 times more impact if they’d established these problems/ relationships earlier. Like if we had learned Kumu's husband had cheated on her and had a child with another woman (or maybe that Kumu is a bit sad she never had kids on her own) sometime before - over the past 30 episodes, wouldn’t last week’s episode, where she finally reaches out to the husband’s kid, would have been so much more emotionally satisfying? 

Same if Theresa had been mentioned as TC’s great love and maybe him being sad some episodes ago (or even back in 1x19 when his dad doesn't come to visit - that could have been about him seeing a post about her getting married and him being upset about it and connecting with Rick about that.) 

Like I get that maybe sometimes they just throw random things in there but at the same time why do they need to do that? Want to do that? Isn’t there someone keeping track of the big picture? Giving characters long running story arcs over a season or even multiple ones should be someone’s job. 

If it’s not, I volunteer! 

Seriously Lenkov I’m currently unemployed and totally up for it, just give me a call! I already know we think the same... (Marriage of Inconvenience). 

Nr. 5 Not having Gordon comment something on the fact that he’s been called to a murder scene on a Island Love tour bus site by his favorite PI duo. Like yeah they’d have told him why they were there but he still should have teased them about it! Like “What were you two doing here anyways? Something going on?” and both of them giving a horrified “NO!”.

Nr. 6 when the guy says “is he crazy?” after Magnum jumped into the waterfall pool thing, not having Higgy be all “Yes, he is”, then jumping in after him, was a huge miss. That would have been so funny and shown how much alike they are (even if Higgy will always be the sane one...)

Nr. 7. Not having Magnum and Higgins try to pretend to be together when the bus driver catches them. I mean come on! At least some more hand holding! Snuggling? I’m not saying to just kiss already okay maybe I am saying that.

Nr. 8. Not one real Miggy moment in this episode? I mean lots of bickering and maybe for a moment with her being all “well done” when he tells the cheating a-hole he’s an idiot for having an affair. And if the camera had stayed on him for a few seconds more when they’re toasting at the end we know we’d have gotten a Mangum looks had Higgy soft heart eyes moment. But we didn’t. But other than that, not really much feel-y moments even if we got plenty of cute stuff.

Nr. 9.  Sandy and how they find out Sandy is the killer! Like what? She cut the bus’s fuel line  which makes no sense, she’d wouldn’t want to trap herself right?  Sandy if you’d just not cut the fuel line and stayed with the group, you’d have been taken back to civilization and no one would have figured you out! Or you should have left right away on car/4-wheeler you must have prepared for escape, not stayed around! You could have left down long before the cops got there or the autopsy revealed anything. Same for why does she give her knife to her date? Why not just throw the knife away? She’s in the jungle, big chance it will be found. Not.

And why kill someone in the middle of nowhere, making yourself one of the, like, 8 suspects? Like come on girl, for a hit woman you’re not that clever. Also if you had a gun, why strangle a guy 2x your size? That’s not a smart plan either. Just get a silencer and shoot the guy when he’s on his morning jog back in the city or something! I feel like the only reason they had her be the baddie was so Magnum/ Higgins could say “Shot through the heart” // “How is that for poetic” all dramatically after Gordon took her down.

Problem nr. 10. Tied in with this I just think Sandy as the killer should have not happened. 

In fact, I think having the sweet loving wife as the killer would have been wonderful. 

It would have been a much better twist! Dead guy could have been poisoned (traditional how wive’s kill their husbands… just saying) and then he fell off the cliff. They could surely have found some weird clue to that, like maybe his throat is all swollen and stuff to make them think foul play and then when they’re moving the body towards the end, Magnum realizes it’s poison.

But Higgy stayed back with the ‘grieving’ asthmatic widow and oh no! Must rush back to save my one true love platonic partner. 

We could have had some sort emotional moment where the Wife got Higgy with a knife at her throat and is all “He was supposed to be my best friend, my partner, my everything and he did X” and Magnum being all “Well that woman you’re holding a knife to is my (best) friend, my partner and she didn’t do anything so please put the knife down!” Or something. 

I mean I know that sounds like I’m off in Miggy fanfiction land but honestly I think they could have made it work (this is hilarious when re-reading after watching next weeks trailer). She could have teased him about the best friend bit but then she could have been all soft, “Thomas. Thank you. I’m glad you're my friend.” And the episode could have ended with how love just never seems to end well for anyone which would have been way more on theme for the vibes in this episode (and frankly whole show because no one gets to have a romantic relationship for more than, like, 3 episodes).

Nr. 11. Higgins hair. Not putting it in the fluffy “Blood In the Water” style was a big miss because that hair made her look so freaking adorable. Just saying. I mean both my babies are always adorable I just love the poofy fluff hair from that ep!

Anyways, those were my 11 missed opportunities for episode sixteen!

My fave bits were Magnum and Higgins fake couple thing at the start. Magnum being all like “While we’re up here we might as well take a selfie!” and then when talking to the old couple his, *I’m just gonna keep my hand here, on your waist! I’m real smooth* move. 

I enjoyed the fast action pack-ed-ness of the whole ep and the pretty Hawaii scenery we got. The more I watch Magnum PI the more I want to visit Hawaii (one day when there is no Corona, I’m much richer and 20h airplane rides are suddenly comfortable, I will!) and just enjoying all the amazing natural beauty and stuff.

The Rick and TC’s interactions were also highlights, I loved the whole “just pretend to walk by”. Like so middle-school yet so relatable because who hasn’t done that when we’re like, is that Lisa from second grade? And just we walked down the cat food aisle perusing cat food (when we most def. don’t have a cat), just to check if it is indeed Lisa.

Also this made me crack up so hard.

Magnum: Muffin? 

Higgy: Could you please not refer to me as a breakfast pastry.

That’s just so on point for Higgy I can’t even!

You guys agree with my missed opportunities? Or have any of your own for this or any other episodes?

______

(And who is desperately searching for a time machine to steal so it can be next week - right this minute!! LIKE!!! I’m still freaking out from the trailer.)

[ppnightshade]

My Top 5 favorite shows of the decade (2010-2020)

Since I was a child, I had seen a lot of shows, some of them a bit boring for me, and others really memorial

To start a freshly new year, and some big changes in my Tumblr, I decided to start making this top 5 as a special post (even though I should have done it days before, but I was lazy xD). Of course (and to clarify), it will be my personal opinion and perspective; and in addition, it will be for the shows I’ve been attracted the most  It will be short, and not that deep as a real review, but you know, I’m doing this for fun (yay) 

So Let’s Start!

5.- Aggretsuko (2018)

To start this top, I decided to put this anime. Some friends recommended this to me just after season 2 aired. At first, I thought it would have been a boring office show and by seeing how cute were the characters (because Sanrio), I was like: “is that an adult show?”

Boy, I was wrong

Even if the seasons were so short, these have really well made episodes. In contrast to the shorts, it actually had a really interesting plot and a more enjoyable time (11 min episodes instead of the normal 1 min shorts) 

The anime shows how Retsuko’s life relates on every adult’s life. Starting as a worker that see things so optimistic, but learn in the hard way that life is tough. Especially when working by just a bunch of money. But when night fells, things are a bit different...

If there is one thing that made Retsuko so special, it’s her way to release her anger. The way she rages it’s so special. It’s not the typical guy who destroys things. She releases her anger by doing what she like: singing in a karaoke

It has good comedy, has some adorable characters that finally got some personality (if we take in mind that the shorts just show them as randoms with no background history) and lovely songs. Also, the love topics it’s something that it’s well handled. The story of Retsuko with Haida and Tadano, both different, but really enjoyable and cute to see Still waiting to see what season 3 will bring to us, but sure enough, it will bring some more raging of our favorite red panda...

4.- Slugterra (2012)

Ok, this show may be a bit old, but believe me. This was my childhood. Basically, it was a show where a gang leaded by Eli Shane, have to defend the 99 caverns from Dr.Black and his evil men, with the help of Slugs, small creatures that are the main ammunition for everyone (it’s a short summarize I know)

As you guess, it’s the typical battle between the good and the evil

Well, this cartoon was a masterpiece for me. An attractive story that can catch you in just 3-4 episodes, an animation that it’s so vibrant and some incredible backgrounds to watch. Every cavern has it’s own look. Including the slugs

Talking about them, there are different kinds of slugs, each of them with an unique ability. I think that I can agree with everyone that Burpy is the main slug. The most representative of all the slugs in Slugterra. But aside from him, every slug has it’s own personality (even their own names). They are like pets for Eli, and it shows the connection he had with them. Catching them it’s like catching pokemons.

The characters are also a good point of this show. Eli, the young leader, an adventurer and a guy who follows always the good steps of his father; Trixie, the extrovert girl that it’s always there with her camera; Kord, the troll mechanic, but that deep inside, he is a cutiepie; and Pronto, that guy who always keeps exagerating his stories, but it’s always there to keep the team united. All of them are really memorable, and enjoyable to watch

All 5 seasons and their movies managed to filled all the plot holes the show had. The reasons of why Black became a villain, the legacy and mistery of the Shadow Clan, and more. In addition, it even had a game in the app store. Isn’t that amazing?

This was the show of my childhood, and deserved to be in this top 

3.- OK:KO Let’s be heroes (2017)

A really underrated show, OK:KO Let’s be Heroes is a show that got a lot of hate for no reason. But for me, this show was one of the best things CN had after a long time of bad reboots and shows

This cartoon is developed in a video game world, in the year 201X. Here we got the story of a small kid, KO, whose biggest dream is to become one of the greatest heroes of the plaza, just like the another guys out there. While having his adventures, he is always with the company of this two colleagues, Rad, a young alien, and Enid, a ninja witch

What to say about it? For me, it’s a show that got good over time. For example, you can compare the animation from the pilot and season 3 episodes, and you’ll see how much it improved from that point. In addition, it’s a really stylish animation that matches with the fights that the show have (and believe me, there is a lot) and some good soundtracks to enjoy the enviroment. And believe me, these are so good that you want to listen them again and again (Happened to me with Ernesto’s Jam)

It sure not have one of the best comedies, but it sure have some positive messages and plot lines. The path that KO follows to become a greater hero, shows a big example of resiliance and effort. And talking about plot lines, we got the stories of POINT and Professor Venemous. They started as simple characters and organizations that didn’t look like much, but as the story continued, it shows a big relation with KO’s past and some other heroes backstories

It’s sad that CN ended up killing this show, not promotioning it, and even not giving it so much time to air (you only found the show in a horrible time, like 1am in my country). Even if this cartoon managed to tied up some loose ends, it didn’t tie them all. It had the potential for more, but CN lost a great opportunity

But in the end, KO will live in our hearts, as our little hero...

2.- The Amazing World of Gumball (2011)

Oh man, this cartoon. The once called a “kids show” but ended up being something more. 

A cartoon that shows the crazy and incredible adventures of Gumball in the city of Elmore. A unique world, where everyone have a special design, or different animation. Examples are Alan, Clayton or Ocho

Here we have Gumball’s family, his brother Darwin, his sister Anais, and his parents, Nicole and Richard Watterson. A special family, that always get involved in crazy things, but in the end, there is good chemestry in all the members. 

What to say about it? Over it’s 6 seasons, it managed to gave us some good laughs. Most of the jokes are so clever (there are even hints of black humor) and in addition, there are episodes that made satire of some special topics (”The Copycats” and “The Shippening”). Also, it does not only gives us laughs, but also talk about real life; for example, the SJWs, the censorship of videogames, depression and even the reality of politics. This is the funny reason why we are always asking ourselves: “Is this a kids show?”

Also, remarking this one more time, the special thing about TAWOG is that it does not have one single animation. It includes, 2D, 3D, 8-bit, Stop Motion; in short, a variety of them to enjoy. A compilation of characters with a unique animation and personality, made all Elmore people so interesting and memorable. 

While it’s sad that TAWOG ended up in a cliffhanger, most of the fans are still waiting for a movie. Let’s be honest, this show deserved an opportunity to close the loose ends it had left. And what a better way to do it than a movie? (Not to mention that even Ben himself had made a Tweet about this)

We’ll see if time is our friend now...

1.- Penn Zero: Part Time Hero (2014)

And to end this personal top, this special show. Also known as the “AU show” for some fans; this was, in my opinion, the best show I’ve ever seen in the whole decade

First of all, a brief explanation of this masterpiece. It's basically a show where our protagonist, Penn Zero, works as a Part Time Hero, and everyday he goes to different dimesions with the objective of stopping the plans of the Part Time Villains, Rippen and Larry; with the help of his friends Sashi, the Part Time Sidekick and Boone, the Part Time Wiseman

What does Penn Zero got that attracked me the most? First of all, the worlds. There is always a special detail that made each world unique. Like, a world with dinosaurs and cowboys, or a prehistoric world where the heroes work as agents. Also, each world have a nice background, that really fits with the theme of the missions. For example, we got the cereal world, where the cliffs have the figure of milk boxes

Then, the dynamic each team follows. As you can guest, this is a good vs evil show, but with something unique. They are not exactly heroes and villains, it’s just a part-time job they take. And of course, they get payed (I think? xD). Well, the thing is, even though they love to destroy each other in their missions, in real life, they are just chill and normal people... well, kinda. We can see how Rippen always loves to give Penn bad scores as revenge for defeating him everyday. 

Even though the show only had 2 seasons, it managed to explain well all the plot planified. Showing the backstory of Rippen and his ambitions of becoming a full-time villain, and the story of Penn in an attempt to recover his parents from “The Most Dangerous World Imaginable” (his main objective) 

The animation is a really fluent, and even though it doesn’t have a lot of songs like the other shows I mentioned before, you can enjoy the few it had. Well developed characters, great humor; and best of all, you can imagine any AU you want, and it will fits with all the 5 main characters

It’s kinda sad that Penn Zero only got 2 seasons, this last one, aired in just 18 days (just imagine that the fandom waited 2 years for new episodes, and in few days, the show just dissapeared). Disney wasted a lot of potential on this, but believe me, this show was one truly underrated, but amazing in every aspect

And that’s it. I hope you enjoy this small top 5 I made. I’ll probably make another one, but, we’ll see. Thank you for reading until this part if you manage to get here c: 

[creativebeast18]

Robstar Week day 1: Falling Falling for Each Other

Hiiiiii....I’m not late for Robstar week...I was just sent one week into the future!

JK, But I’m happy I could finally finish this! It was very hard to write, and everytime I came back to it, I just kept writing more and more. Thanks to my pal @lightdusk96 for helping me edit this and get the grammar right (I swear I always get one thing wrong and it bothers me to the moon and back). Hope you enjoy!

Summary: two life or death situations lead Richard and Koriand’r to realize their ddep love towards the other.

Everything around him seemed dull. The air, the screams, the blood: he was blind to it. The only thing he cared about, the only thing that kept him sane, was falling. Starfire laid on the hospital bed, connected to various machines, including a respirator.

When had everything gone so wrong? How, after all the preparations, did this happened? Questions clouded his mind now more than any case ever had. It had started as an usual morning in the Grayson household. Richard was getting breakfast ready for his favourite alien, while she slept through the morning. Suddenly he heard what sounded like a blunt object fall to the ground. The neighbours from upstairs, maybe? But the cause was clear as soon as he heard a scream. HER scream.

Richard immediately let go of the eggs he was holding and rushed to aid his wife. The sight that was in front of him shocked him almost as much as the accident that happened during his childhood. It was the love of his life, tears streaming through her eyes,  while she layed in a small pool of blood and stretched a hand out to him, to anyone, that could help her baby at this moment. Dick held her hand while calling 911, explaining to the operator that his wife was now in labour, contractions being very close one from the other.

The rest of the day was a blur to him. The only clear memories where of the pain in Kory’s face, how she squeezed his hand for support, and her last words before she was in this state: “I’ll survive this, both me and our daughter”. And then, all the machines started making the wrong sounds. Fast and erratic, while all the doctors yelled. He was soon taken out of the room to wait with his friends and teammates, the last sight of his wife being her, in an induced coma.

This was by far one of the worst experiences he had ever felt. His parents dying? Sure, it hurt, but that time someone else had killed them. Growing up with the most serious and distant man on Earth? Bruce wasn't that bad, and he grew to like him, to the point where he saw him as a father, even. But this? Knowing that the most precious person in our life is hanging on a thread because of something that was partially yours? Heartbreaking was putting it lightly. They knew from the very start that a half-human half-tamaranian baby was something completely unpredictable. They didn't know what could happen to Star, but they couldn't wait to be parents. So they hoped for the best. And that it had been for a while, until today.

There was nothing he could do at this time, except wait. There he was, surrounded by the support of all his friends, yet oblivious to the outside. He felt nothing but loneliness.

She needed to find him soon. Or else, her entire world would crumble around her. After reuniting with her fellow teammates, they didn't even need to state that finding Robin was the top priority . Their best bet at finding him were Star and Raven : they both could fly, but could pass undetected (Beast Boy suggested transforming into a bird or a bug to search for him, but they didn’t let him because Cyborg needed help camouflaging their tracks...and because he was Beast Boy)

But where could he be? All the police reports only lead our female heroines to Shinjuku, but it was so vast, he could be hiding anywhere. While Raven searched the north part, Starfire went over south of the neighbourhood over and over again, in the hopes of any patrol light, any radio communication, any rumor...anything. She knew that maybe he was hiding so well that she would never find him, but she also knew that she would never give up on him, that nothing could keep her apart from him.

Because, even after what he had said, and still debating herself if he had really meant it, she could not give up on this chance of them being together. Even if in the end he said no, for any reason, she would still be beside him. Because Robin was the first thing she knew from this world. Since coming to Earth, Robin was the first she ever trusted, the first she ever cared about, the first she ever kissed…. But (even though the kiss came first) they were most importantly friends. She could never let that go. She would always be a Titan, and she would always help her friends and stay by their side .

Koriand’r seemed so lost in her thoughts that only the loudest siren seemed to wake her up from her trance. She quickly followed it only to find several patrols chasing a single motorcycle. Said vehicle was being driven by a young male with jet black hair. Her breathing almost stopped at the sight of her better half. She tailed the persecution, trying to reach Robin, but he was running too fast for her, and after hours of searching, her energy was almost drained . However, at the sight of her love at the edge of a cliff, she took her chance and dived in, falling to him, so that she could grab Dick’s hand and take off into the Tokyo sky with him.

“It is great to finally find you, friend Robin!” Said Starfire in her most melodic and happiest tone. Richard noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Desperation, fear, and adrenaline were what he had felt for the last two hours, but right now...he felt not only relief, but happiness.

“It’s great to see you too, Star. You have no idea how much I missed you” he said, as tears collected behind his sunglasses. But, after all the confusion he just went through, he knew that flying in the middle of the sky wasn’t his best idea. He would wait first to reach a safe place. So that he could tell her how much he had fallen for her.

Light begun to enter the room, as Kori felt her eyes slowly opening. She noticed that a big shadow was looking directly at her, holding her hand . Surprised, she springed up and sat on the bed, scanning her surroundings. The room was filled with most of her friends and family members. She looked around: Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Kid Flash, Jinx, Blue Beetle and old friends like Batgirl and Wonder Girl were there. But the two people she cared about the most were right by her side. The sight of them was simply overwhelming: her loving husband holding a small baby, cradiling it as it slept soundly , little bubbles forming on the corner of its mouth.

“Hi there, beautiful.” Said Richard, always so charming. “You had me scared there for a second. How are you feeling?” He said, while signaling Raven with his eyes so that she could get the nurse. Starfire lifted a hand and placed it on top of the baby’s head, caressing it softly.

“I told you I would do it”. Although her voice was cracking, she thought that this moment was nothing but perfect, as she stretched out her arms and held the product of their love. Dick sat by her side and hugged her with one arm while using the other to carefully grab one of their baby’s hands. One by one, their friends left the room so that the happy family could have a private moment .

“She is one strong, healthy little girl”, Richard said as he kissed his lover on her head. “What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked protectively.

Kori did not take her eyes off their daughter as she answered “Well, I remember you holding my hand as I felt a contraction, then I think I blacked out. I only heard a very sharp noise, and you calling my name.” As he relieved the memory, Dick squeezed her left shoulder. “ But then I think I had a dream… I dreamt about that time we were in Tokyo. The police was chasing you, and I was trying to catch you. I was just as scared right now as I was back then ” . Starfire looked at her husband, hoping for a different reaction than the last. Shockingly, she found a smile.

Richard just looked at her, staring right into her eyes. “That makes sense, considering”. This confused Kori greatly. Noticing this, he continued “Just before I had to leave, your line fell. Doctor said you flatlined for around 3 minutes. They put you in an induced coma just to be safe, and called me back after an hour to get prepared for the birth. I’m sorry you missed it” He said as he noticed her sad eyes and the pout her lips made.

“It is alright. The most important thing is that she is here, safe and sound. And we could always have more.” She said while sending him a funny look and her mouth forming a sultry smile. They both immediately giggled, as to not wake their newborn.

Dick kept going. “Anyway, I don’t think it’s a coincidence. When you rescued me, I thought that you had fallen from the sky, just like an angel. I remember even being a bit mad at you because you could have gotten shot by the police.” Star was a bit surprised, but she let him go on. “And today the line of your heartbeat fell completely. I think we constantly fall: while saving each other from missions, while facing high risk situations, when we try to save the other...But most importantly, we fall for each other. We fell in love with each other. And just look what that led us to: the most beautiful child in existence...What I’m trying to say is that, we´ll always be there for each other. Kori, you flatlined today, but you did it for our daughter; not that I’m happy about it, but it’s like you fell for her. And I could be back here in time for her when she came, and for you when you woke up. Just like you were there for me in Tokyo. I wish sometimes that our lives were easier, that danger wasn’t crawling in every corner, but I’m sure that, with you at my side, we can face anything. We can fall and come back each time, for each other, and for her.”

After this monologue, Dick lifted up his gaze from the floor, and looked at his wife. Tears were falling from both of their eyes, neither of them held them back. The moment was forever captured with an embrace, and a long-lasting kiss.

When they parted, their baby had opened her eyes, revealing two beautiful emerald irises. She lifted up her arms, and giggled, as if wanting to be part of the hug as well. “What shall we name her, dear?” the alien asked. The couple had already decided on an earthly name, with a touch of Tamaran, but they hadn’t concluded in which one. It wasn’t until Starfire suggested Mar’i that they knew it was the one. They both knew this was everything they ever wanted, and that they would always come back for her. In the end, they would always fall, to hell and back, for each other.

“Now, where’s the doctor?! My wife had a baby and she still hasn’t come here!” Dick springed up from bed and headed to the door, while hearing his wife’s and daughters’s laughter of joy.

[alliebruns-blog]

The Jurassic Coast Challenge 2018 - Guts, Glory and Running through a Depression

Hurrah! It’s my favourite multi day ultra! I first did Jurassic Coast Challenge in 2017 and it remains one of my complete faves. 3 marathons (if a marathon is indeed between 28-29 miles), in 3 days across the Jurassic Coast - one of my favourite places on earth. The route takes you from the Golden Cap on day one to the HQ at Weymouth sailing school. Day 2 runs from Weymouth sailing school around Portland, and then back out through Weymouth finishing at Lulworth Cove. Day 3 takes you from Lulworth Cove all the way through Swanage and over Old Harry Rocks to the finish on Studland beach. Glorious. Especially when the sun is shining - which it always does, right? WRONG.

The week before had been that snowy ice week which everyone was freaking out about, so it was always going to be a little damp underfoot, but with all the rain the previous week I was actually wondering if it would be cancelled. Some of the trails on those cliffs are dangerous at the driest of times, but surely if they were muddy the likelihood of flying off the end of them was slightly higher? It was all OK though, and I got to Weymouth on Thursday night in time for dinner with my caravan mate for the week, lovely Richard Palmer. Rich is a much better runner than me, but I had told him that and he seemed to accept that if he wanted to run with me, he’d have to take it down a notch or 20.

People doing all three days of the challenge (you can also sign up for them individually) have the option to stay in a caravan for the weekend, at Chesil Vista which I love because I am weird. It has a bar where they do bingo every night and families who hate each other go in there so they don't have to interact. It’s also where tribute acts go to die. It’s the best. It was me, Rich and my sister in our van. My sister and I have a habit of behaving like teenage boys but really clean and tidy ones. Rich was so lucky he got to share with us. SO LUCKY.

DAY 1 We trotted down to the HQ early and registered, got our maps, got a our chippy dibby thing and had our kit checked. They are super thorough at these events. Like SUPER thorough every day and you have to carry a lot of shit about with you. Then we had the briefing which, again, is very thorough (self nav yay!) and jumped on the buses to take us to the start of day one. I was in group 2 who go out first - the walkers and ‘joggers’. I made a hideous mistake last year and put myself in the running group because I was being a twat. It was SO harsh. I was literally the last on on the course. They put the speedy runners out a couple of hours after the slower people have started because they obviously RUN UP THE GOLDEN CAP BECAUSE THEY ARE MONSTERS.

There she is. Day 1 - The Golden Cap.

And here she is from the top. What a lovely way to start a 3 day ultra. Said nobody ever. 

It was pretty cold and windy and rainy - perfect JCC weather - but I was running with my sister and that made the whole thing way more fun. First part of the race is, as I said, up the Golden Cap - a hill so big you can’t actually see the top of it - then it trots its way along the “undulating” (fucking hilly!) coastline towards West Bay (or Broadchurch as it should rightly be called). 

BROADCHURCH! (Or West Bay as the locals call it)

Checkpoint 1 done and it’s up that MAHOOSIVE hill where little Danny died (again see Broadchurch) through fields of lambs, up and down and up and down and mud and mud and I fall over, and on to the beach (literally onto the beach). The death beach. The beach made of tiny, deep stones. 

The death beach. 

Only 2 miles along that then. FFS. About 3 miles before checkpoint 2 my sister is all “OMG I FEEL AWESOME! 13 miles in 2 hours!” I am all “no, it’s 8 miles in 2 hours, your watch is measuring in kilometres”. Meltdown time. Checkpoint 2 done, sadwiches, crisps, tactical poo, and we are off on the beach AGAIN and then they throw in some proper sticky mud for another few miles. Nice. 

There was a lot of this....

And some more of this......

My glorious sister, trotting it home to Weymouth. 

Back on the icy mud hills and cow shit fields, checkpoint 3 - MORE SANDWICHES - and along the sea to Weymouth - it starts raining about 4 miles before the end, but day one is done in a not stunning 7 and a bit hours. I’m knackered and I need a beer, but we have had a good day and taking it easy is exactly what I need to be doing. Rich is already back at the caravan. He did it in 5.40. Fuck my ACTUAL life. I go to the bar and win a bottle of Lambrini because I am so good a quizzes. More good at them than Rich is at running.

DAY 2 Here we go. Here we fucking go. I wake up feeling terrible. I am chronically depressed. I know I am and I start to panic. Anxiety, feel sick. Best have some food. I make eggs and toast for everyone and eat mine only to promptly throw it all back up again. One of the things about depression is you never know when it is going to hit you. You can be doing the best thing the world with people you love, running through some of the most beautiful scenery on earth, but if he decides to come, he will come. All I want to do is curl up in bed and die. Sometimes when I feel depressed, I am physically sick. It’s like my body is doing everything it can to make me stop doing something that will heal it. It’s horrible and I hate it and I try to explain to my caravan crew - my sister knows and deals with it accordingly - but I can’t explain because I think I might cry. Again, my body doing everything it can to stop me going out. But fuck you, depression, I won’t let you do this. Relentless, Forward Progress. So off we go to Weymouth. I try and get a banana and some coffee down me but I am scared of being sick again so I am hungry. Today we run from Weymouth sailing school to Purbeck - all the way round Purbeck and then back through Weymouth and onto  “The Rollercoaster". The hellish hills that lead to Lulworth Cove. It’s raining as we set out and it makes for some pretty epic foggy Purbeck pictures. As soon as I take the first step I know that I will be ok. This fucking illness will not rule me. I will rule it. I will. But I will walk up this epic hill first.

Purbeck looking pretty Game of Thrones

Purbeck looks stunning in the mist, and the going is good - I am even enjoying the rain. It’s beautiful up here and as we get to the first checkpoint by Portland Bill lighthouse, I realise Rich, who was in the fast group behind us, has caught us up. Jesus fucking christ the shame. I eat a jaffa cake and some crisps. I am starving. Rich decides to stay with us as we navigate the chalky hills of Portland - it like an OCR course and there are a lot of steps, hills and chalky mud. We’re a good little group though, and we have some good chats with other runners. Some beautiful sights up here - a petting zoo with wallabees, the epic ocean and a young offenders institute (or children prison as I like to now call it) NICE.

I hope that doesn’t fall down......

We decide not to go down the hill we came up at the start and opt for the road route down to the sailing school for checkpoint 2 where we spend 20 mins eating sandwiches. I am confident I won’t throw up again now, and I am starving. Then we are off again down the road towards Weymouth, along the promenade (where we meet an pick up a group of kids running to Lulworth who prove to be extremely annoying) along more beach and then up the first hill towards The Rollercoaster. It’s muddy AF and really hard going and I am tired, but it’s stunning. My sister starts slowing down - she knows we are nearish the end, but I know what is coming up - unrelenting hills that looks a lot like this……. 3 of them.

The Rollercoaster. That’s the threes hills you see in the background of this photo. Glorious. 

What goes down....

Even going down them is hard as it’s slippy and the tracks are narrow and the drop is sheer, but it’s here that I feel my best - I love this part of the coast and I am happy to be alive and running. Fuck you, depression. The climbs up are SO severe and the kids we picked up earlier are like mountain goats running up them. I want to kill them. When my sister asks one of them what he training for and he says “life” I actually almost punch him and call him a virgin. And then the final climb, and it’s down the hill to the end. 

Durdell Door marking the almost end of day 2.....

It’s my sisters last day today, as she can’t do tomorrow, and as much as she says I let her win I actually didn’t - I was shagged. Hard rock steps all the way down to the finish which I found extremely annoying and she was well ahead of me on those - so fair play Janey - you smashed it! End of day 2 - 7 hours - back in the coach to HQ to have a shower, a pint and a sleep. Day 3 tomorrow and it turns out it was worse than I remembered. But in my own head I had won today. 

Running besties. Two sisters at The Door! 

Day 3 So I though Day 3 was the most glorious of all the days. I don't know why I thought this - I have done this before. It’s horrendous. In the best possible way. 

Day 3 starts......

Turns out this one has the most hills, the most elevation (4,500ft) and the most fucking steps. This goes out from Lulworth Cove, where we finished yesterday, to Studland beach, and it’s up and down the whole fucking way. You have the stairway to heaven/hell thrown in the middle - over 200 steps down and another 200 up and its BRUTAL. It was windy and cold and I still felt depressed and nauseous, but I had Rich with me so at least I had someone to say my last words to should I actually die or throw myself off a cliff. To summarise the day I shall use pictures and the following word. Hills, lambs, mud, hills, hills, hills, mud, lambs, wanting to die, losing direction. cheese sandwich, hills mud, hills.

One of the only flat bits of the day....

Hills.....

Hills.....

Hills. Actually watched a bloke fall down this and it was quite funny. (He was fine)

Stairway to Heaven/Hell...... those are god damn STEPS. 

And from the other side.....

As I a walking up the stairway to heaven, dying, a deer runs up the hill next to me completely effortlessly. Its one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I am a vegetarian, but suddenly I have a craving for venison because I literally HATE how fit that deer is.

Once you get to Swanage you know you’re almost there, so to celebrate we had an ice cream because we are professionals. The general public are bused my me and Rich running along easting ice cream. I am amused by this.  Another little beach stretch, then it’s up the final climb towards Old Harry Rocks, across the top and down to Studland beach where its a 2 mile run across the sand. 

The trail up to Studland. More mud. Which is good because I hadn’t seen much of that this weekend.

Old Harry! We be coming for ya! 

The longest 2 miles known to man. Felt like 20. 

I was struggling a bit to keep momentum at this point, but having Rich with me made all the difference. He actually did keep me from walking too much and eventually, after 7 hours, we made it to the end - I felt bad he had stuck with me the whole time but made myself feel better by telling him it was good practice for the Dead Sheep Ultra he is doing in a couple of weeks. Yeah.

So all in another brilliant race by VOTOW. Great aid stations and staff, great runners and hardly a Salomon man in sight. I would like to apologise to the marshall that, when he asked where I wanted my water bottle I replied to with “up my bumhole”. That was a joke and I am sorry (ish). So I am signing up for the ACC - Atlantic Coast Challenge in October this year. Let’s give that one a go shall we? 85 miles, 3 days and 10,000ft elevation on the JCC done. One of the most beautiful races on earth. Up next - Ultra Tour of Arran in 2 weeks!

Thanks for being a pal and running with me, Rich! Good luck at Dead Sheep next week! 

[slamsams-blog]

The Spy Who Loved Me - #24WeeksofBond

24 Weeks of Bond continues this week with Roger Moore’s “The Spy Who Loved Me”.  A tale of two government agents who are the top of their class who get paired up to work on a mission together and who ultimately fall in “love”.  I put love in quotation marks because we never see or hear from Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) ever again.  Usually when Bond falls in love we here from them again in some way like with Bond’s late wife Tracey, or Vesper Lynd from Casino Royale - so I hesitate to say they fell in love, but I will because that’s the movie’s gimmick.

This is Roger Moore at his peak in the role.  This has always been one of my favorite films because of the simple, playful, and fun plot of these two agents trying to best each other, the big action sequences, and of course...JAWS!  There are a few things to not like about this one, I mean I can definitely think of a few, but overall you come away from this movie feeling like you have had a ton of fun.  We still haven’t seen all the Moore films yet, but I’m pretty confident in saying that The Spy Who Loved Me just edges out Live and Let Die as Moore’s best Bond film.  Moore is hitting his stride with confidence and playfulness, the two qualities that Roger Moore brings to the character, and wether you like it or not, what we know Moore’s Bond to be.

Like I said before, this film is incredibly easy to follow...A Russian submarine has gone missing due to a submarine tracking system that is low key being sold to world powers if the price is right.  So while Russia deploys their best agent on the case, so does England.  What I truly love about this film is the script and direction that set up this story so beautifully.  In the pre title sequence we see a pair of lovers in bed, when an agent (we are assuming is the man - damn gender roles) gets called to report.  The movie swerves us when the woman answers the call.  This is how we are introduced to Triple X.  Subsequently Bond is called to London and sets off to ski only to be chased by some henchmen, one of whom, is the man Triple X was sleeping with earlier.

What takes place next is a stunt that helped revitalize what was a struggling franchise on the brink of extinction.  The Man With The Golden Gun was one of the worst drawing Bond films of all time - and the franchise was in jeopardy!  But they pull off a stunt here when Bond skis off a cliff and they let the camera roll on the stuntman free falling for what feels like forever and kicking off his skis, he then deploys the parachute with the British Flag, and I’m sure people went nuts.  This set the future of Bond in a comfortable place for decades to come.  And to follow that we get Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” which I believe won an academy award for best song?  I don’t know, I’m too tired to Wikipedia right now, but I know it was at least nominated.  I love that song, it sets the tone for the movie in such a beautiful way.

I also believe they did that stunt in one take.

So we are starting off on a great path to an enjoyable adventure where Bond and Anya are gunning for the same microfilm that contains vital information.  We are also introduced to Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens) who is a mega billionaire who as his own underwater marine laboratory.  We don’t really know too much of his backstory and why he is so rich and why he loves the water so much, he just does and wants everyone to live underwater with him.  So we don’t know too much about him, which makes his character, to me, rather uninteresting and uninspired.  BUT he has got a killer henchman named Jaws (Richard Kiel) who lives in infamy as one of, if not thee most iconic Bond character of all time.  There is no way that Jaws doesn’t come to anyone’s mind when thinking of the James Bond Franchise.  You would of course think of Bond, Q, maybe Moneypenny, and Jaws.

Funny enough, Richard Kiel actually played the same exact character (Metal teeth and all) in a comedy the year prior to this film’s release called “Silver Streak” starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.  No idea how that happened.  Silver Streak came out in ‘76 while The Spy Who Loved Me came out in ‘77.  They had to have been filmed around the same time, so who thought of the character first??

This is the first of two movies that would have Jaws being a thorn in Bond’s side.  Here he is absolutely terrifying - in Moonraker they turn him into a comedy act (which I admit is great, I love comedic Jaws).  This Jaws is the quintessential Bond baddie.  He is so big and strong and can kill people with his teeth and is seemingly invincible.  Jaws dies like 40 times in this movie and keeps coming back - it is starting to feel like a running joke.

As the plot unfolds...so do the uncomfortable gender roles that the mid-seventies likes to rub in our faces.  We have a bad ass Russian spy who has a Triple X (sex reference) code name and always seems to be falling short of Bond’s cunning - because, well, he’s a man.  She also finds herself needing to be rescued by Bond a lot - because, well, he’s a man.  I really think they fell short here with this character, they just couldn’t quite pull the trigger on writing a character that is truly Bond’s equal.  She gets close, but in the end, she just becomes another “damsel in distress”.  However, we get a powerful scene between Bond and Anya when she finally finds out Bond was the one who killed her lover after we had established that they had fallen in love.  She says “Then after this mission is over, I will kill you”.  Some good stuff there.

This is another film that makes me laugh when thinking about a man like Stromberg, who has these heinous plans to attack New York City and Moscow with NUCLEAR MISSILES, can gets thousands of employees to work for him and just go along with the plan.  Stromberg wants to start a new world under the sea (did I get Little Mermaid stuck in your head?).  An ungodly insane scheme, but whatever - has he even thought about where the hell he would get his GROCERIES???  This leads to a wonderful battle scene between the captive Naval soldiers who were taken by Stromberg and Stromberg’s men.  I love these big battle scenes.  Bond catches up with Stromberg who has found more time to sit his ass down for a dinner for 9.  Kills him easily.  But then runs into Jaws again but scoops him up with a magnet to the teeth.  Ingenious.

Final scene of the movie where we expect Bond and Bond girl to celebrate a job well done boils down to Anya seeing her next mission out to kill Bond.  But all is actually good, and we end up seeing them celebrate a job well done in front of their superiors.  Classic.

The Spy Who Loved Me has some classic moments, unforgettable characters, and catapulted Bond into the future so for that I say it’s one of the best, BUT it does have it’s faults in poor character development and a weak portrayal of Anya Amasova (not Barbara’s fault, just a victim of the times and short sighted writing).  That’s all I have to say about that...what did you think of The Spy Who Loved Me tonight??

Reviews from Friends:

My Mom

The Spy Who Loved Me was absolutely great. Roger Moore was so smooth.  My favorite car scenes were in this movie.  When his car turned into a submarine and even better, when it came drifting out of the ocean onto the beach and Bond tossed the fish into the gawking crowd, it was a laugh out loud moment, even though I am usually watching these films alone.  I wasn't so impressed with the big boss, Stromberg, but Jaws was a lot of fun. Barbara Bach had that unforgettable face, but her acting was not quite as much.  I don't know which number this was in the sequence, but I love these old Bond films.

24 Weeks of Bond will return August 3rd with - 

Diamonds Are Forever

[nigelolsson]

Elton John's Drummer Nigel Olsson On His Early Days Gigging in the North East

By Gordon Barr, 13:00, 24 NOV 2016

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/elton-johns-drummer-nigel-olsson-12223391

He may be Elton John’s long-time drummer, but when Nigel Olsson first got into music as a teenager in the North East it was guitars that were his first love.

Nigel, who grew up in Sunderland and is at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle with Elton on December 3, recalls: “Our family originated in Gothenburg in Sweden and they moved to Sunderland. I went to school in Sunderland and then I worked on the pilot boats on the River Wear. I just became interested in music, the likes of Cliff Richard and The Shadows.

“My brother and I used to fool around on guitars but nothing more than that. I was always into music. When Cliff first came out, that is what I wanted to do. It seemed so cool.

“I joined a band in Sunderland, The Fireflies. I was the guitar player and singer and in those days you only needed to know about three chords. We did gigs in pubs and working men’s clubs. If you didn’t play the songs that they wanted you to play, they would hurl stuff at you.

“There was one night our drummer didn’t turn up for the show. I could keep time, so I went on the drums, and something clicked. I thought ‘I like it here’. Plus, when playing the working men’s clubs, when they started hurling things at you, at least you had cymbals to protect you!

“So I stuck on the drums. Self taught. What I used to do was put headphones on and listen to Cliff or Lonnie Donegan and play to the records.

“I never took a lesson in my life. I still can’t read music. I just picked it all up.”

Nigel has been an almost constant presence with the Elton John band for decades and he lifts the lid on working with the larger than life singer songwriter.

“We have moodies now and again but it doesn’t affect us as we’ve been through it before,” softy spoken Nigel, now 67, tells me backstage before a gig.

“He’ll get over it, he’ll be fine tomorrow. It’s amazing, really. It’s family. We all have our good days and bad days, OK days. Fantastic, wonderful days.

“As long as we make people smile and we do something to give back what they give to us, our job is done. It’s an amazing life and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Elton John and his band are at the Metro Radio Arena on December 3 as part of their Wonderful Crazy Tour series of shows, following on from the release of the Wonderful Crazy Night album. You can book tickets here.

Elton has hinted December’s Newcastle concert could be his last in the city. “You never know. Maybe, maybe not. I don’t think it’s any time soon. That would be a question for him! I’ll ask him,” laughs Nigel.

“It’s been a life of just total blessed moments, and I’m still very blessed to be around and to see it evolved to what it is now,” says Nigel, whose family are of Swedish origin but who settled in Sunderland when he was a teenager.

“We still pack arenas, we pack outdoors and festivals. It’s unreal that we are still on top of the whole thing. To be part of this musical history, basically.

“The key is we feed off the audience. They give it to us and we give it back. It’s a joyful life to have and we’ll keep going for as long as we can do it.”

It was back in 1970 when Elton and Nigel first played the Roundhouse in London – their first live gig together. “We were supporting The Who,” he recalls. “I got to play Keith Moon’s drums. That was it for me – I’d made it finally.”

If this was to be Elton’s last tour, how would Nigel take it? “It would be difficult for me personally as I am so used to going away on long tours.

“Obviously it’s great to be home (California) with my wife and the little pups and family members. The road is where I belong though. People might not know this about me, but at home I don’t have any drums or musical instruments.

“It’s very much downtime, chilled with my wife – get away from it all and recharge the batteries.

“When we start to tour we’ll have a soundcheck before the first gig and after 15 minutes we’ve got it, we’re rocking out. Everybody is on the same wavelength, so we know basically what we need to do.

“We’re doing some of the new stuff on this one, which we love. The other thing that I personally enjoy is being in the studio.

“In the early days we used to go away to a studio to record records and stay at the studio, for three or four weeks.

“Elton would get the words from Bernie (Taupin), sit down and write the songs and we would be in the room. So basically as he was writing them we knew exactly what we were going to play.

“Most of the early songs, like Daniel and Someone Saved My Life Tonight, we cut them in the first take. That magic between us all is so prevalent.

“It’s still like that. We were in the studio for the Crazy album and we recorded it all together in the same room, no click tracks or computers in your ear.

“It just flowed out of us. We used real microphones. Nowadays you hardly see a microphone in the studio, it’s all computerised.

“The key to my sound is real drums. It was a joy to be in the studio again. We like to keep it very basic. We still have it in the back of our minds when we are in the studio that this is like how it’s meant to be done. Just let it all flow and work off each other.

“It’s a family situation. We’ve had the same crew for years. When I go and sit down at the drums, I only have to go and sit down and start playing. I don’t have to move anything, everything is absolutely where I need it. The drums are tuned the way they should be, I just sit down and play, make funny faces at the camera and have a great time.

“I love to mess around and know it’s going up on the screen, as people then see I’m a regular guy who likes to have fun.”

Nigel, who was born in Wallasey but grew up in Sunderland, admits he is looking forward to returning to the region. “I have cousins that still live in the North East. I don’t get to see them very often. It’s changed so much. The last time I was there I was looking for where I lived and I couldn’t find my way home as it has all changed. I still keep in touch with the family and am still very close with all my family.

“The only drawback with being in this is that we don’t really get enough time to hang out with families when they come to see us. Our tour schedule is really tight plus we have massive security that is around us all the time.

“Explaining to family members, you have to tell them ‘no not really, you can’t hang out’ and they think you are being flash or something. But we have to do it. While we are with this organisation, that’s the way we have to live.”

[swearronchanel]

Who let me watch 5.06?

I should be doing an assignment that’s due tomorrow but ya know due tomorrow means do tomorrow. Lol I know I should be ashamed to be a procrastinator but university has ruined me anyway. I’m tired from literally going to one lecture haha, but in any event I’ve been rewatching mad men for the who knows what time but I thought I’d take a break from all that and watch an episode of CtM & @flyingnonny inspired me to do a reaction post so why not? I decided on 5.06 since last Sunday’s episode reminded us of that camping trip 😂😂  here goes nothing.. 

*skips intro bc I’m impatient*

Cute community moment ☺️

TRIXIE😍 slaying my life

Shelagh looks so good too 😍 and Angela melting my heart!

Why is shelagh forever wearing cardigans? I like cardigans every now and then but all the time, really?

Everyone is sitting outside, Trixie is in a sleeveless dress, as is Barbara, so it has to be warm?? take it off Shelagh

She’s still my bby though even if I don’t always agree with her fashion choices

what gross vejo pinching Trixie’s ass? That’s not ok

And Babs too lmao, creepy old man, die

Shelagh saying “hello dear” aw

But this is like the only interaction between Shelagh and Trixie & that does not suffice !!

ALL I WANT IS FOR THEM TO HAVE AN ACTUAL FRIENDSHIP IDC HOW MANY TIMES IVE SAID IT I REALLY Want it😭😭💕💕 my two fav bbys

I HAVE EVEN GIVEN REASONS WHY & I CAN GIVE THEM AGAIN ***        1) Why not?? Shelagh has like no real friends besides her husband and sort of Sister Julienne?                                                 

 2) just please, because I’m asking nicely                                                     3) When Shelagh was Sister Bernadette she was often friendly/ in the gossip and conversation with the nurses & remember that one time Trixie grabbed her to come listen to Jenny’s phone conversation?               

4) Trixie was the only one besides Sister Julienne to visit her in the sanatorium. That has to count for something!                                             5) They’ve both been on the show since day 1 & have known each other the longest (besides the nuns) why wouldn’t they be friends or least actually speak to each other?

Aye this is the lady who’s fake pregnant

Shelagh wearing earrings though >> here for it

Sorry there will be a lot of gushing over Shelagh and Trixie

And also I WANT TRIXIE’S HOOP EARRINGS SO BAD, where can I find them??

And how do I get her clothes and figure and her everything lol?

PHYLLIS ! My champion

“Would it have killed you to sit down for five minutes and eat the whole thing!” I LOVE HER, SHE IS A GEM, A HERO, A BADASS & IM NOT READY FOR SUNDAY. IM GOING TO BAWL WITH AND FOR HER

she deserves the best

I think this is the only time I’ve ever heard Trixie address Shelagh by her first name?? a prob.

They need to interact more 😭💔💕😍 I will stop saying it when I’m dead even then I’ll prob say it

Actually when I think of it no one ever calls Shelagh by her first name besides obviously Patrick? And Sister Julienne

#MoreShelaghAndTheOtherNursesInteracting2k17aka1962

And I need at least two seconds of them dotting on pregnant Shelagh

Helen looks so good like goals

“I threatened to put one man over my knee but that only encouraged him” HA IM DEAD NO KINK SHAME

I think there’s been a similar joke before but fuck it it’s still funny to me

But seriously everyone loves Trixie lol how could you not though?

Hey Pats, it’s been a while

Lol omg Tim in that uniform.. Not the best costume 😂😂

Never seen Whistle Down the Wind

But you see, Tom and Babs making out as usual, I’m not knocking it lol but this is why Sister J told her to chill when they went to South Africa😂

also lowkey jealous bc Jack Ashton is handsome af and that could’ve been me but it’s all good. He and Helen are adorable together and I’m here for it x10000

Omg I forgot this lady got assaulted

Oh shit I just remembered this is the episode where sister MC is attacked FUCK WHY DID I WATCH THIS

she can’t report it bc she’d get arrested for soliciting wtf

But remember Shelagh wore the headbands in like series 3 (so glad she stopped I was not here for it)? They must’ve gave them to Babs lol

I forgot Trixie didn’t tell the nurses about AA yet

But she looks gorgeous as ever, even with her mascara running

Lowkey nauseas looking at all that fish ugh. Funny becuase they put a grocery store that has a fish market on the block up from where I live in NYC and I hate it  

I forgot about Peter lol and he was in an episode this series whoops

LIKE WHERE’S YOUR WIFE LOL, *I know, too busy for this, I don’t think she’d fit in the series anymore anyway*

Sister Mary Cynthia 😰❣️

Lol she doesn’t sing loud enough ??

Sister Julienne is so cute when she smiles but don’t forget she’s a badass

REMEMBER THE AGGRESSIVE JACKET FLAP BC OF THE IRRITATING SISTER URSULA

How did this girl hide her pregnancy though?

And did her brothers just not realize she was pregnant and the mother wasn’t?

Oh jeez my cousin was a colic-y baby and my parents kept him like 3 days a week when I was in high school & it was a nightmare. I didn’t sleep for so long

Dont get me wrong I love babies. But when they scream when I’m trying to sleep, nope. Return to sender.

Shelagh is so excited about camping it’s the purest and most adorable thing 😭😭And I like her shirt  

Shelagh made Tim copy the napkin folding from a magazine, SHE IS A GEM

“We never have serviettes on a weeknight” wtf did they just not use napkins every day? I’m confused Lmaoo. What am I missing here 😂omg that reminds me of one of the times my family and I went on a cruise (2006, hella long time ago already wow?? 11 yrs yikes) and my brother & cousin were late to dinner and lied to my mom & aunt saying they were at a “napkin folding class” & my family deadass believed it up until 2 years ago😂

Shelagh’s accent is so cute. I’ve said that many times but it’s so sweet. But again why do we just have to accept she’s Scottish with no context as to how/why she came to England? Like I’m sure there were convents in Scotland. I dont even care that much I just will forever be curious as to why it seems she had no life before she got married lol? Like they don’t ever bring up the fact she was a nun, but ok maybe she feels awkward talking about it but what about before? 

They’re so excited it’s so precious, protect this family 😂😭💕💕

Sister MJ is fasting lol I should try it😂

Omg another dumb story, I didn’t realize today is Ash Wednesday and was hella confused seeing some people with ash on their forehead 😂😂 I should give up something for lent but idk what, we shall see. My mom gave up carbs last year & I died bc I lived at home and ate what she cooked and almost all my fav foods are carbs😂

Shelagh referred to Patsy as Patsy, I’ve only ever heard her say Nurse Mount??

lol Tim you’re what 14? you know damn well those arent* bullet holes

at least he has some of his innocence still. I didn’t @ 14

Sometimes I forget I’m gonna be 19 this year wtf. I’ve accidentally told people I’m 16 before and had to correct myself 😂😂

Patrick is excited about this holiday, boy you don’t know what’s coming 😂

HE’S GONNA ATTACK THE LADY WITH A BABY I FORGOT THAT TOO WTF

I wanna fight him

Diane’s anemic ? Or her mum is just assuming

SHELAGH IN HER CAMPING OUTFIT!! The hair scarf and trousers !! I’m so here for it 😍😭

I want to see her in another pair!! yes lets get it 1962. Probably not likely this series but hopefully next series!! Ah can’t wait

Shit this series is almost over 💔💔 but omg 1963 gonna be lit as well?!

Like the space race started/orbiting the earth, Kennedy’s assassination .. wait never mind lol I’m thinking of American History moments. but still a lot of it was crazy world news so maybe it’s mentioned?? first bond film came out in'63, petition for Tim to go take Susan whatever from around the corner to see it since we know he liked the novels

Lots of famous films came out in ‘63 so there’s gotta be some reference.

Fun fact: I love pop culture references in period drama bc I’m lame jk I’m majoring in education (to teach history)

Old news but still relevant: Phyllis’s turn on: Rolodex systems 📇

“CRANE, as in the wading bird or industry lifting equipment, whichever you prefer” LOVE U PHYLLIS, YOU CORRECT HIM

PHYLLIS’S FACE WHEN GODFREY SUGGESTS SHE CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT, IM DEAD

“I shall consider retirement when I’m at the appropriate age”  IM LAUGHING SO HARD, FUCK YEA PHYLLIS. I LOVE HER SO MUCH, LINDA BASSET IS ON THE LIST WITH LAURA AND HELEN OF PEOPLE WHO COULD PUCH ME IN THE FACE AND I’D THANK

LOL SHELAGH JUST STANDING AWKWARDLY LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION

“Buenos vacaciones”  I NEED MORE PHYLLIS WORKING ON HER SPANISH I LOVE IT, Ella es oro.

lol the roof rack, bet it was Phyllis’s they borrowed when they moved

PHYLLIS’S FACE OF DISGUST WHEN DR GODFREY SMILES AT HER IS ME ALWAYS

LOL THE THE NURSES & SISTER WINIFRED DYING OVER PATRICK’S SHORTS (EVen though sister W “swears she’s not looking”)

I THINK THE SOCKS AND WHITE DAD SANDALS ARE MORE AMUSING 😂😂

Poor Judith💔

It’s a vicious attack Sister J! But you don’t know it yet so I get u

Here comes summer..😂

SETTING UP IN THE POURING RAIN LOL

Shelagh and Angela being adorable !!

Tim and Patrick proud that  they set the tents up & boom it falls 😂 which is symbolic for me taking exams, I think I did well or at least decent on them and then I find out I failed by like 5 points

Nonnatus table scenes <3 😭

”I’ve seen more dangerous marshmallow bunnies“ lmao Pats this is a serious moment I shouldn’t laugh

Shelagh took off her glasses 😉😏 but fr how is Laura Main so perfect

Patrick put scotch in its lit, pass it over😏

Lol Shelagh drinking is a strange thought but I’m so here for it. Nuns can’t drink right? Idk. Imagine her drinking alcohol for the first time and just getting drunk 😂 we know Patrick and Tim are lightweights getting drunk off one beer so I assume shelagh would too😂

Damn it Patrick, you spilled your cup. Furthermore proving you’re a disaster 😭

LMAO SHELAGH’s “WTF” FACE WHEN SHE ASKS PATRICK WHAT HE’S THINKING ABOUT AND HE SAID THE ULCER CLINIC

LIKE C'MON PATRICK YOU KNOW WHERE SHELAGH WAS TRYNA GO WITH THAT😂

“And if you don’t mind my saying so, you’re not exactly Cliff Richards yourself” SHELAGH 😂😂 another great line of hers, love it

I love their playful banter lol we need more of that 😂 but lets be real series 6 has had some of the greatest Shelagh and Patrick moments so I can’t complain 😭😍

Peter and Barbara is such a unusual dynamic haha

“How is chummy?” Wait does Babs even know Chummy? I don’t even remember if they met tbh

But for real Shelagh did you really think Patrick would just forget about work completely ??

Lol Angela crying because she is petrified of squirrels😂😂and Shelagh running to her is so cute.

Why didn’t she just get rid of the *creepy* squirrel nutkin book? it seemed like they still had it in series 6 haha

rice pudding is I think the same as aroz con leche, lol it’s gross sorry

Diane’s water broke oh shit

the Turners all in the tent playing I spy bc it’s raining haha

I went camping for the first and last time this past summer w/ my sister in laws & her friends, it was awful 😂😂 I got like 100 mosquito bites that became welts, i literally slept in the car the second night & it was mid July fairly south of east coast aka it was humid and sticky af , there were wild horses that walked around..Thank God they brought alcohol cause it was a nightmare I don’t wanna remember 😂😂

ANGELA IS SO CUTE UGH & ANOTHER GREAT SHELAGH FACE😂

lol yes go to a hotel, should’ve done that from the get

So what exactly does Fred run? some civil defense thing?

She’s in labor and can’t even scream omg, I’m screaming

“They are often incorrect in their opinion” Sister MJ is a gem. I want someone to look at me the way Sister MJ looks at cake and the television

Phyllis yelling at Dr Godfrey😂

PATS’S FACE OF DISGUST IS ALSO ME

HOW DO THESE WOMEN GIVE BIRTH STANDING/SITTING UP?? AHHHH

There you are Beatrix, it’s been a while

Patsy being suspicious with the card game line lol. but when is Trixie going to find out about Patsy and Delia?

SHE RIPPED OUT HER WOMB?! WTF OMG IM SCREAMING

THIS HURTS TO WATCH AHH

Trixie and Sister MC to the rescue but omg this is wild I forgot

Fred wtf you can’t be sneaking up like that

DONT LEAVE SISTER MC ALONE TRIXIE

NOO, IM NOT PREPARED FOR THIS

“There are flowers on the table, and feathers in these pillows, that’s all the nature I need to get back to” I feel you Patrick lol, I like nature but not camping

Lol remember Shelagh’s old nightgown? ah I don’t miss it. The bri nylon is such a look™ & obviously has magically powers i.e this miraculous conception.

“..or they’ve been mulled to death by squirrels” IM DEAD HAHA THAT WAS A GOOD DAD JOKE, NICE ONE PATRICK

aw the baby is so precious

Why is the operating room/being in surgery called theatre in the U.K.?? and why is the doctor’s office/practice called the surgery? so many questions from a confused American..

Sister MC by the docks😭💔 she was just chillin with God and THIS HORRIBLE MAN RUINS EVERYTHING WTF UGH

Oh no

SISTER MC JUST UNCONSCIOUS ON THE DOCKS WTF IM CRYING WHY WOULD HURT HER

Patrick even if you were there she wouldn’t have called you, don’t blame urself

it’s not your arrogance sister MC!!

“don’t you even say the word fault, do you hear me, I won’t allow it” 😭💔 it’s NOT your fault sister MC 😰

I forgot how upset/hurt this episode makes me

“The worst thing is that I actually stopped to pray…” my heart hurts

You can’t even blame her for being angry😪

Judith you’re not a bad mother!! This isn’t your fault either

Sister MJ IN THE BATHROOM WITH HER😢😢💔💔 I’m c r y i n

I SAID PROTECT THEM AT ALL COSTS WHY DID THEY HURT ME LIKE THIS

Everyone so quiet at the table..

ILL FOREVER BE PROUD OF HOW BRAVE SISTER MC IS FOR SPEAKING UP FOR HER AND THE OTHER VICTIMS💖😭💔

Russian prison tats??

“I thought at first it was a test of faith, but it was a test of strength. I can bear more than I ever though I could and I can bear it for others because my strength is a gift, from him..” brb sobbing

I feel so bad for Mrs Hills bc I understand she thought she was doing the right thing and was trying to protect her daughter from the stigma & judgment from having a baby born outta wedlock 😭

But damn she almost killed her & now she can’t have any more kids

“I’m a mum, mum” Aw

lol I want children (obviously not anytime soon) but if I do Ima be shook for the rest of my life. Like my kids will  be like grown & I’ll still wake up like wtf I had them?  Lmaoo

SHELAGH’S GREY DRESS >>😍

Patrick jumping on the bed was cute lol

The Turners being cute and an unrealistically perfect family together as usual

Trixie 😍off to her AA💕

“I think it’s about time I came clean..”

Im so proud of her omg. She’s come so far in 6 series 😭💖💖😭

And Patsy and Delia are supportive yess👏🏼

“New truths were being spoken at Nonnatus house, but some remained concealed. While one voice rose, striving to erase its agony in song.”

Thanks Vanessa,, The End 😭

[netunleashed-blog]

Nine amazing British acts that America never understood

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=20671 Nine amazing British acts that America never understood - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=20671 Make way for a hot new beat combo all the way from England! You're gonna love 'em! As a great man once sang: “Oh oh oh – oh! There’s trouble in America.” Well, there was for these artists, given that they enjoyed great success in their native Britain, but bottomed out when it came to cracking the prestigious (and lucrative) American market. What went wrong? For whom, and why? Readers, you’ve come to the right place: here are nine amazing British acts that America never understood. Dizzee Rascal Dizzee’s terse, paranoid, brilliantly abrasive 2003 debut ‘Boy In Da Corner’ was clearly not made with the American mainstream in mind, but the Bow rapper’s later records almost certainly were: 2013 album ‘The Fifth’, for instance, was a brazen attempt to court American audiences with bash electro-house beats and super-producers from across the pond. Biggest UK successes: Five number one singles, five albums that broke the top 10. Biggest US successes: One appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 – a feature spot on Shakira’s ‘Loca’, which reached number 32 in 2010. What went wrong: Grime has never really found much of an audience in America, despite Drake’s attempts to break the genre stateside. Yes, Dizzee moved into mass-market pop, but, side-by-side with fellow Bow native Wiley, he also helped create grime – and his roots in the musical movement run deep, as last-year’s return to form ‘Raskit’ proved. The Kinks The quintessential ’60 example, perhaps, of a massive British band that just never caught on with the Americans. British invasion? Pah! Not for the Davies brothers. Biggest UK successes: Three UK number one singles, five UK top 10 albums. Biggest US successes: ‘You Really Got Me’ reached number seven in 1964, and ‘Lola’ climbed to number nine in 1970. What went wrong: When Ray Davies was inducted into the American Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2014, he remarked that it was “a big deal because it means that America has finally accepted the Kinks”. The Kinks were banned from touring America from 1965 to 1969 – in many ways, their heyday – because of their fearsome reputation for fighting at shows. Talking to the Irish radio station NewsTalk, Davies summed the situation up pretty well when he put the controversial ban down to “bad luck, bad management, bad behaviour”. Blur Damon and the lads embarked on an infamously disastrous American tour in 1992, a ill-fated trip characterised by infighting and empty venues. It was so relentless and grim that the band took to punching each other for fun to relieve the monotony. Biggest UK successes: Two number one singles, six UK number one albums. Biggest US successes: Two tracks broke the Billboard Hot 100 – ‘There’s No Other Way’ and ‘Girls & Boys’, which scraped in at number 59 and 82 respectively. What went wrong: That experience in 1992 may have put them off the land of opportunity, as they never seemed to make any major attempt to crack the US afterwards. However, Gorillaz, Albarn’s band of cartoon misfits, who returned this year will stellar album ‘The Now Now’, have been more popular in America, sneaking into the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 with 2005 single ‘Feel Good Inc.’ The moral? Life is long and strange, and sometimes you succeed the most when you become a cartoon. Girls Aloud A band brazenly manufactured – on bloody television – for success! A prototype for One Direction! What could possible go wrong? Biggest UK successes: Four UK number one singles, two UK number one albums. Biggest US successes: Zip! What went wrong: Why did Girl Aloud, one of the UK’s most fondly remembered pop groups, never make it Stateside? Perhaps they were too real – theirs was an early incarnation of reality pop, where the stars looked and, crucially, sounded like everyday Brits, with little showbiz razzle-dazzle. In fact, the band’s record label, Polydor, didn’t even release their albums in America until 2015. Girls Aloud split up in 2013. Robbie Williams Ah, the Pope of Stoke, the King of swing, the buccaneer from the end of the pier. Robbie always was, and remains, a peculiarly British phenomenon: part cabaret act (inspired by his dad, Pete), part Norman Wisdom (Google him, or ask your granny), part Freddie Mercury (yes! really!). Is anyone surprised that America, home of actual pop stars, wondered what the fuck we’d sent them? Biggest UK successes: Seven number one singles, 12 number albums (that’s almost literally every album he’s ever released, including two greatest hits compilations; it’s only 2009’s ‘Reality Killed The Video Star’ that missed the top spot, coming in a number two). Biggest US successes: Two tracks on the Billboard Hot 100: ‘Angels (number 53) and ‘Millennium’ (72), and both of those were re-releases. What went wrong: His heart wasn’t in it, really. Pretty much the entirety of journalist Chris Heath’s 2004 biography Feel is concerned with Robbie’s conflicting feelings about America – should he try and crack the country, or enjoy his anonymity over there, given that his life in the UK had become a tabloid circus? In the end, he opted for the latter, refusing to commit to the kind of sprawling, gruelling extended tours that are required to become a household name in the US. Last year, Robbie told NME: “I made a decision in 2000 to not promote there, not work there, not do anything there and go and just live there. So I haven’t done anything to jeopardise that.” The Stone Roses The band headlined Coachella in 2013, which could be read as an indication that they’re massive in America – but, in fact, the show was surprisingly sparsely attended, with reports relaying the fact that “one could easily walk to the front of the nearly empty field”. Biggest UK successes: Four albums in the UK top (including a greatest hits compilation and their debut, which charted no less than three times between 1989 and 2009). Biggest US successes: Two albums that charted in low positions on the Billboard 200 – debut ‘The Stone Roses’ and follow-up ‘The Second Coming’ staggered in at number 86 and 47 respectively. What went wrong: Self-sabotage, intentional or otherwise. Frontman Ian Brown insisted that “America doesn’t deserve us yet.” The band stipulated that they didn’t want to tour in America until they could fill the enormous Shea Stadium in New York, so didn’t tour the first album. Simon Spence, author of the book The Stone Roses: War and Peace, told vanyaland.com: “When ‘Second Coming’ came out, it had been five years; they went to L.A. and did promotion and it went badly. They liked to be loved in America but it was, ‘Fuck you if you don’t like us.’” That’s right: they wanted to be adored. Elastica Initially, Justine Frischmann’s band achieved greater fame their her then-boyfriend Damon Albarn’s group, Blur. She told The Sunday Times last year: “I think it was hard for Damon when Elastica started getting some success in America, It’s funny because we both thought we were too evolved for classic gender roles, but looking back he thought his band more important because he was the guy. And on some level I did, too.” As we’ve seen, though, Damon finally wooed the Americans with his cartoon bands of misfits (and Gorillaz!). Biggest UK successes: The band’s self-titled debut album went straight in at number one in 1995 and became one of the defining records of the Britpop era. Biggest US successes: Two 1995 singles in the Billboard Hot 100. ‘Connection’ and ‘Stutter’ crawled to numbers 53 and 67 respectively. What went wrong: Sort of like The Stone Roses, Elastica’s hearts weren’t really in it. There was was a five-year gap between their debut and 2000 follow-up ‘The Menace’, and the band split in 2001. Frischman has spoken of her apathy towards the music industry – she is now a visual artist based in New York – and last year told The Guardian: “I got to go all over the world and have a real snapshot of the planet in ’95, ’96, and I got to meet a lot of my heroes. One of the most valuable lessons was to realize that success isn’t necessarily enriching or enlivening. We live in a culture where there’s so much emphasis on celebrity and we all grow up feeling like being famous must be really great.” The Libertines Oi oi guvnor! Let’s stick on our nanny goats, head up the apple and pears, give the dog a bone and – look the point is that The Libertines are a bit mockney, okay? Biggest UK successes: Two top 10 singles, one number one album – 2002’s ‘The Libertines’, the band’s second, sweat-slicked LP. Biggest US successes: That same album was their biggest hit in America, too, though, in contrast, it limped in at 111 on the Billboard 200. What went wrong? In certain circles, the received wisdom is that Pete had too much of a taste for crack to actually – ahem – crack America. The reality is probably a little more complex, given that much of The Libertines’ self-mythology is concerned with sailing ‘The Good Ship Albion’ – a poetic term for Britain – to ‘Arcadia’, a concept Pete has described as “the realm of the infinity … It’s not a cult or a religion – it’s an awareness of your surroundings; you’re not going to force yourself on anyone and, equally, no one’s going to force themselves on you.” Given that The Libertines were so steeped in British culture, it’s perhaps not so surprisingly that their music meant less to American music fans. Cliff Richard The quintessential British artists that made America go, ‘What’s this guy all about?’, Cliff was our version of Elvis Presley. So no wonder they weren’t arsed – they literally had Elvis Presley. Case closed! No, please, keep reading – we’re nearly done. Biggest UK successes: Deep breath. In the red corner, weighing in at a fairly unremarkable 155 pounds according to an extremely dubious website I just checked, it’s the Peter Pan of pop, with a whopping 14 UK number one singles, 68 top 10 singles, seven number one albums and 44 that stormed straight into the top 10. No wonder he’s always on a summer holiday. Biggest US successes: 19 tracks that entered the Billboard Hot 100; three that shimmied and shook their way into the top 10. Not bad by a mere mortal’s standard, but chicken feed in comparison to Cliff’s five-decade success in his own country. What went wrong? Cliff had a minor American hit with ‘Living Doll’ in 1959 (it reached number 30 in the singles chart) and made a few dents in the top 40 between the 1950s and 1980s, but failed to truly set the US alight. When he first launched his career over there, Cliff adopted a rebellious, surly persona, but this softened over time; soon he was middle-of-the-road as a well-placed traffic cone. Source link

[nikkifinnie-blog]

Vice Squad Prepare for the Battle of Britain: Interview with Beki and Wayne

When, where and why did your dream as a musician begin? Beki: I was in love with music as soon as I was aware of it. I was fascinated by the sound of electric guitars as a little kid and still am. I used to make up songs when I was about 8 years old and when I was 9 I played my first 'gig' at my junior school Christmas party in a band named 'The Flashers’. I was also a natural born rebel and questioned the treatment of non-human animals and authority in general from a very early age. Wayne: In my bedroom, trying to play along with my records age 12, wishing one day I'd be good enough to be in a band. How silly of me!! When and why did you choose to sing? Did this ever change, if so why? Also, do you play multiple instruments and if so which is your favourite to play and why? Beki: The voice is the primal instrument, everyone can sing to some extent and I was in the choir at a very music orientated junior school, so I sang every day. By about age 7 or 8 I’d started to notice the difference between powerful singers like Tina Turner, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, Noddy Holder etc and frailer ‘Pop’ voices and I wanted to sound like the powerful singers. I sort of knew I was born to sing. I got into Punk around age 12 and kept trying to sing in bands at secondary school but had the mic taken from me whenever there was an impromptu rehearsal, so it was quite a coup to end up in a band of older teenagers, call it Vice Squad and actually play a real gig after 3 rehearsals in the bass player’s parent’s garage. When I started to sing professionally (I use the term loosely because you couldn’t really describe Vice Squad as professional in the early days) in my teens I soon realised that there was a huge downside to being a singer, namely that you can’t party all night every night and keep your voice, it’s the equivalent of repeatedly slamming a car door on your hands if you play guitar. It took me several years to accept this fact and my teenage diaries are full of descriptions of alcohol and drug-fuelled escapades followed by genuine incredulity that my voice was croaky and that I felt shite. To be fair I was being spat on, going without food a lot of the time because I was veggie (vegan now) and people thought it was funny to see me go hungry and I was sleeping in the PA truck some of the time so no wonder I drank and took drugs. I suppose like many things in life you have to learn first-hand through your own experiences as no-one wants to be told that they need to curtail their fun. When I sang in a Blues covers band about ten years later I didn’t have any vocal problems in spite of getting plastered on a regular basis, so either that kind of singing comes naturally to me or my voice had matured into sterner stuff. I suspect I chose to sing because it came easily and naturally to me and being very young I didn't understand that if you apply yourself to something you find difficult (like learning to play an instrument) you can learn to do it. I thought you either had a natural gift for doing something or it was beyond you, which isn't the case at all. Wayne: I didn't choose to sing, it was necessity. In covers bands I was in, I needed to do backing vocals so was given a mic and told to get on with it. Eventually, when we were choosing songs, one singer refused to do a couple of songs I wanted to do and said, "If you wanna play that shite, I ain't singin' it, you fuckin' sing it", so I did. And once I'd learned to control what was basically shouting, I got better than the 'singer' quite quickly. When I started my own bands, I became the 'singer' by default as no one else would/could do it and there was no chance of finding someone who COULD do it in our town. Still applies today. I only play bass (guitar and double bass). I love drums, always wanted drums as a kid, can't do it. Can play a bit of guitar enough to get ideas across. Any major influences?  A specific song? Beki: I would howl along to: Bowie; Iggy; the Banshees; The Clash; The Dead Boys; Penetration; UK Sub; X-Ray Spex and also early Queen (yes really), so they must have had some influence but not much as we were very inept when we started so couldn't make ourselves sound like any of the 'real' bands. The females in Punk definitely inspired me to have a go myself. Wayne: Cliff Burton, Steve Harris, Billy Gould, Dan Lilker, Flea, Geddy Lee and Jason Newsted. No specific songs as such. Stuff from the bands I learned to play along with I suppose. Successes and failures along the way? Beki: Just keeping going is a success in this business, the only real failure is giving up and becoming 'normal'. Wayne: Depends on how you term success and failure. Being mediocre at bass guitar has afforded me a lot of opportunities I would never have had, had I not picked it up. I guess writing and making records and getting them out there. The travelling and trips away we have done. Positive good stuff. Making some of my life's best and longest lasting friends. Getting to meet a lot of people in bands I love. Getting to play in the U.S.A, South America, all over Europe, and so on. Many, many festivals. Many, many parties!! Getting something, I played on a vinyl record. All sorts of little goals. There are many more things I'd love to have done but they never happened so whatever. I guess I try to see achievements as successes. You could also say everything I have attempted has failed musically as I'm not a fucking millionaire or whatever, but I don't look at it or indeed life that way. Quitting is the only failure. Any funny stories - lessons learned? Beki: Years ago, I was rehearsing with my second band, Ligotage, at Nomis Studios in West London and Motorhead were rehearsing across the hall from us. We ended up in the pub together and Lemmy was sat on a bar stool next to me and attempted to seduce me with one of the worst chat-up lines I have ever heard, namely "I was the first one in my band to have anal warts". Unsurprisingly it didn’t work, in spite of him insisting that my eventual conquest was 'inevitable’ (which, just for the record, it wasn’t) and him raiding the ladies loo trying to find me after I decided to leg it. A year or so later I went drinking with him on his house boat on Chelsea Embankment. He had several pairs of white Chelsea boots in the front room/cabin and I asked if they were his and he said "No, they used to belong to a horse I once knew". When I could drink no more and wanted to go home he phoned the cab office for me, saying "Hello, this is Scarlett O’Hara" (the name of the boat) which was pretty funny as I couldn’t imagine a less likely Southern Belle than Lemmy. When the cab came Lemmy came out onto the gang plank and shouted "Oi!! Fishnet face!" and flashed at me. I spent the journey home cringing in embarrassment and trying to explain to the cabbie that I hadn’t slept with him and we were just mates.  I obviously haven't learned any lessons as I'm still in a band. Wayne: Lots of funny stuff just related to disastrous occasions and injuries along the way. You know those times when they occur are a nightmare but when you look back, are hilarious? Pranks, scares, all sorts. Too many of those types of stories. Recommendations for those wanting to play your instrument or sing and get into the business. Beki: Sadly, I have to say don’t give up your day job...a few years ago I would have said put everything into your music, but the music biz has got a lot worse and you’ll end up impoverished and desperate if you don’t have a safety net of some sort. If you want to do it for the love of music then go for it, but you have to remember that as with everything else in life the music business isn’t fair, i.e. no matter how talented and dedicated you are you will probably struggle to have any kind of career.  Steer clear of management companies that promise you the world in return for paying them large amounts of money up front and always try to retain ownership of the copyrights of your songs. Be aware that it's usually economics not 'musical differences' that splits up bands. Wayne: If you want to do it, you will do it. You will find a way. Do it for love/the art, not for contrived success or celebrity wannabe bullshit. Your future plans and any new material in the pipeline? Beki: We’re currently writing songs for a new album tentatively entitled ‘Battle of Britain’. The writing has been going really well and we're very excited about it.  We write and record every song in our home studio and release it on our own 'Last Rockers' label and we are self-managed. We have no record company to help us but that means no one tells us how we should sound or what we should sing about. Our material is pure punk, completely DIY from start to finish. Which specific instrument did you start with and what is a good starter instrument (i.e if you play bass, which is a good starter bass?)? Beki: A young child should start on the descant recorder and once s/he is about 10 starts on guitar. I’d recommend a Gibson SG copy; the SG has double cut aways so it’s easy to access the top frets plus it’s a lot lighter than a Les Paul. Second-hand guitars are cheaper than new (unless you’re buying vintage as opposed to used) and you can get something pretty good fairly cheaply. Even if you have an absolute plank you can learn to play, enthusiasm is the most important thing. There are lots of wannabe Rock Stars out there with thousands of pounds worth of gear that their parents bought them but it's meaningless if they don't have talent and in particular the ability to write songs.  In many ways it's better to be poor because you have to try harder, never believe that expensive gear is the key to success.  I properly started (i.e. forced myself to continue until I could play) on a Gibson Les Paul Custom, which is a pretty high-end guitar. When I was a kid I desperately wanted an electric guitar (my Dad played guitar) but my parents couldn’t afford one. They brought me a jumbo acoustic from a second-hand shop, but I found it difficult to play, so didn’t pursue it. Years later our guitarist Paul got me an Aria Pro electric from a shop he worked at in Denmark Street. I started to learn on that, but again as it didn’t come easy I didn’t really push myself. A few years later I had an epiphany, like a voice telling me "You shall play a Gibson Les Paul". Just in case anyone reading this thinks that’s flash and I was well off I’d better make it clear that was not the case. I was too skint to put the heating on, didn’t own a TV set (still don’t) or washing machine and lived pretty much hand to mouth from the money I scraped from playing gigs with The Bombshells (my third band) but I always invested the little I had in stuff for the band, like transit vans, or recording equipment. I bought this beautiful 1988 black Les Paul Custom and named him ‘Granville’ (all my guitars are male and they all have names!). The fact it was a relatively expensive guitar meant I had to practice. This guitar weighs a LOT but luckily, I have the upper body strength to carry it due to years of lugging speaker cabs in and out of venues. I’ve taken it on several US tours etc but ‘he’s’ now been retired to studio work. Wayne: I initially started on an old classical guitar which was left lying around at home. I had this for about 4 years and played it because I wanted too. My first bass was an Aria Pro II XRB series in 1988, which I got as a 16th birthday present from an uncle who worked at Andertons in the 80s. I'd recommend for any beginner bassist either Ibanez, LTD or Yamaha. Best design and build quality for the money bar none. Also, if you prefer something more classic, Squier don't make any crap basses. Every one of them will see you through years of playing. Spend what you can afford. I prefer used as you might get a £300 bass for around £160 second hand. What do you play now? Budget range?  Beki: Currently I play a Gibson Les Paul studio live, it was a present. Prior to that I played an SG Gothic, It has a Bare Knuckle War Pig pick up and sounds like an absolute beast. You can get good copies of SGs and if you buy second hand you’ll pay even less, SGs are lighter than Les Pauls and easier to play because of the double cut away and higher neck joint. Wayne: My main bass right now is a Zon Sonus BG4. Budget range? It technically is the bottom of the main Sonus range of Zon's basses so yes, it was the 'budget' option I suppose. But, it’s the signature version of one of my favourite player's basses from a tone standpoint. What is your dream instrument/set-up and how much?   Beki: I've always coveted our guitarist Paul's old Peavey EVH 5150 amp, I've borrowed it a few times and it sounds awesome, especially with my LP Custom through it. If the sky's the limit, then I'd like Jimmy Page's 1960 Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty and a Mesa Boogie 150 watt Triple rectifier with matching cabs. The trouble with expensive gear is you need to watch it all the time so I'd need my own guitar tech to tend the gear while I'm otherwise engaged at the bar or wherever. Wayne: Ok, I pretty much have my dream bass...BUT if we are playing silly buggers in endorsement dreamland then I'd like something custom built for me (now I actually know what I want from a bass) by someone like Jackson's Custom Shop, built by Mike Shannon. 38mm nut width, brass nut, 24 - 6100 stainless frets, pearl sharkfin and headstock logo inlays, large glow in the dark side dots, graphite or titanium rod reinforcement, musicman style trussrod wheel adjuster (easy to use, no holes in the headstock) bound rosewood board and headstock. Neck finished in a matt laquer. Bodies in a nice lightweight wood, possibly chambered for weight reduction. Bartolini pickups in the same placement configuration as my Zon, hard wired together with the Bartolini stacked 2 band EQ and single volume so there's 3 pots in the space of 2. I find 3 band EQs a bit softer sounding, 2 bands tend to be a bit more aggressive. Gotoh or Schaller Hardware. Maybe 3 Concert Bass thru necks in different colours and / or airbrushed graphic paintjobs. A Randy Rhoads shape and a bolt on Charvel Star shape but all made with the same neck parameters and pickup types, routing placements and circuit types. Also, a maple boarded, bolt on necked Concert Bass with steel screw inserts for easy neck removal for flying and no illegal rosewood issues through customs! How much for all these? Well, at £5000-ish each and maybe 5 or 6 basses... We are not going to go down the road of vintage wants, and/or famous basses wants.... Amps? Mesa Boogie Big Block 750's with a couple of Mesa 8x10's. You can play any stage, anywhere in the word with these. Catch Vice Squad on the 6th May at Coventry's The Arches venue. For more dates or to keep up-to-date visit their Facebook. Read the full article

[martens-movie-reviews]

Release Date: June 14, 2013 Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes

“With the imminent destruction of Krypton, their home planet, Jor-El and his wife seek to preserve their race by sending their infant son to Earth. The child’s spacecraft lands at the farm of Jonathan and Martha Kent, who name him Clark and raise him as their own son. Though his extraordinary abilities have led to the adult Clark living on the fringe of society, he finds he must become a hero to save those he loves from a dire threat.”

Because of the anticipated release of Justice League on Friday November 17, I’ve decided to write reviews of all of the movies that make up the DC Extended Universe so far. There have been a lot of talks about how long this franchise will last, but as a comic book fan, and huge lover of movies, I never want movies to be bad. I’m hoping that it’ll be amazing. You can find the dates for when the reviews for the other DCEU movie will be released at the link here. I wrote the review for Wonder Woman around the time it came out, and it can be found here.

DC Extended Universe – Source: Warner Brothers Entertainment

Man of Steel Trailer: Source – Warner Brothers Entertainment

Cast & Crew

The director of Man of Steel was Zack Snyder, whose work includes films that I enjoyed such as ‘Watchmen’ in 2009 and ‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’ in 2010, as well as films that I didn’t enjoy so much such as ‘Dawn of the Dead’ in 2004, and ‘Sucker Punch’ in 2011. The film that in my mind, he’s the most known for is ‘300’, which while visually amazing, was more of a meh kind of film for me. He has since directed the sequel to this film ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’, and most of ‘Justice League’ before having to step away due to personal reasons.

Man of Steel was written by David S. Goyer, based on the story that he and Christopher Nolan wrote. Nolan’s work as a writer includes ‘Memento’, his ‘Batman’ trilogy, and ‘Inception’ prior to working on this film. He has since wrote ‘Interstellar’ in 2014, and ‘Dunkirk’ in 2017. Goyer’s previous writing jobs includes the ‘Blade’ trilogy from 1998 – 2004, working with Nolan on the ‘Batman’ films previously mentioned as well as the sequel ‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ in 2011 prior to working on Man of Steel. He’s since wrote the ‘Constantine’ television show, as well as ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ in 2016. He was recently announced to be one of the writers for the ‘Green Lantern Corps’ that will be coming out in 2020.

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Cast includes Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Ayelet Zurer, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Richard Cetrone, Mackenzie Gray, Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Meloni, Richard Schiff, Cooper Timberline and Dylan Sprayberry.

Review

The character of Clark Kent / Kal – El was played by Cooper Timberline, Dylan Sprayberry and Henry Cavill, with the latter also playing Superman. I feel like all three of them did a good job at playing the Clark Kent character, and I was surprised at how consistent they were in terms of character. Cavill’s acting in the role of Kal – El was rough at first, with some very wooden delivery of some lines, however that could also be the script or the direction that he got. I enjoyed the portrayal that we got, even if it was a ‘darker’ and ‘broodier’ version of what he is supposed to be, I still thought it was well done at the end. Cavill’s Superman still needs some work, but seems to have a lot of potential, and I was pleased with the improvements in the character in the follow up film.

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The character of Lois Lane was played by Amy Adams, in which she did an alright job with what she was given. I didn’t enjoy what they did with her character overall, but I will go into more detail about that further below. I feel like Adams was a good choice for the role that they put her in, but didn’t give off the Lois Lane vibe that I remembered from the few comic books that I read of Superman(read both Marvel and DC as a kid, but enjoyed Marvel more).

Michael Shannon as General Zod was a good choice in my mind for the role, as he demands the attention when on screen, and you need someone with a presence to portray Zod. I feel like the character could have been used a lot better, but from I enjoyed the performance that we got from Shannon. It demanded more than what we ended up getting.

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The Kent parents were played by Diane Lane and Kevin Costner, who I feel was really well cast in those roles. I would have prefered a lot more from Costner’s character, and the way he died was just stupid, but from the acting standpoint, I really enjoyed that Lane was able to capture Martha Kent’s essence of trying to connect with Clark on the emotional level, while Jonathan Kent was the moral compass of doing what’s right at the right time. I didn’t enjoy the fact that they made him say the word ‘maybe’ when asked if Clark should have let his classmates die.

The Kryptonian parents Lara Lor-Van played by Ayelet Zurer, and Jor – El who was portrayed by Russell Crowe was a mixed bag of emotions for me throughout this film. I loved everything about Zurer’s performance from the flashbacks to Krypton, and the struggle to send her child away for a chance for survival. It’s something that I wish would be explored more in the future, with the A.I. Jor – El talking about his wife to their son. Russell Crowe’s performance was a problem for me in this role. I don’t think he fit the role of Jor – El, whatsoever, and I didn’t like that they made him capable of beating General Zod in a fist fight. That was one of the problems with certain characters in the film.

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One thing that was really unexpected in the movie, was that it opens with the birth of Kal – El, literally Lara in labour, the first time that a natural birth happened on Krypton for centuries. I enjoyed what they did with the movie, in a way to make Kal – El ‘special’ in that sense, however I really wish that they will elaborate on the Codex. That is something that would be very interesting if ever they were going to have a new Krypton eventually in the universe, however I feel like they’ve already forgotten about it.

Seeing Krypton was absolutely amazing. I thought that the scenery and the animals in that sequence was very much inspired by James Cameron’s movie ‘Avatar’. The cinematography in general for this movie was beautiful. I thought that the way that they captured Krypton, Smallville, and the Arctic was extremely well done. It’s one of the better looking films in the past 5 years, and part of that quality is thanks to the cinematographer of the film – Amir Mokri. His work includes ‘Coyote Ugly’ from 2000, ‘Bad Boys 2’ in 2003 and ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ in 2011 prior to Man of Steel.

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The score for this film was put together by one of the most well known and fantastic composer since the early 2000s. Hans Zimmer‘s work has sadly been given a lot of slack in recent years for the loud ‘BWAM’ that marketing people love putting in trailers, which have become annoying, I have to admit. In my opinion, his work is on the same level in terms of quality and how memorable they are as other great movie score composers such as John Williams, Howard Shore and Danny Elfman. Zimmer’s work in this film was strong, hopeful, and sometimes inspiring while still having those epic moments that is required in big budget films.

Movie scores are what I listen to while I’m working at my desk, or writing these reviews, or when I was studying while in school. I just looked at my ‘instrumental’ playlist that I’ve had and been adding to it for the last 10 years and Hans Zimmer has 61 out of the 250 songs on that playlist. His work includes such soundtracks as ‘The Lion King’, ‘The Prince of Egypt’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’, ‘The Last Samurai’, ‘August Rush’, ‘Sherlock Holmes’, and ‘Inception’. I really enjoyed the music in this movie, and I know that a lot of people were disappointed when the Superman theme was never incorporated into the score, however I feel like Zimmer added a sense of wonder and grandness that was needed for this version.

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The flashbacks in Man of Steel was very much hit and miss for me. I feel like the two younger version of Clark Kent did a good job in their portrayals, and I was happy to see that they were providing some backstory to who he is, while at the same time not lingering too much on it.

One of the stupidest death scenes that I’ve ever watched was the flashback scene of Jonathan Kent being swallowed up by the tornado (twister, not entirely sure of the difference, if you know, tell me in the comments below) while telling Clark to stay where he was, and stupidly sacrificing himself. I feel like Clark could have easily saved him, but they wanted to make the film ‘darker’ and make Clark go on this long and arduous journey to find out what his place on Earth is, and to find out what kind of man he wants to become, but I was pissed off at that death scene.

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One of the bigger mistakes in this film was that Lois Lane was made to be an integral piece of the film. She was involved in everything, and while I know that she’s a reporter and loves getting information, the fact that she took a picture of cliff face, and saw a man enough to know to zoom in, then can somehow scale a mountain, and thinks she can escape the authorities after being called is funny. I feel like they should have kept her as a supporting character rather than one of the leads in the movie. I’m not happy that they made her find out that Superman is Clark Kent right away, as there’s a lot less in which they can explore and do in further films.

A small problem with the movie, is the magical appearance of the suit, with the crest of the house of El on it, that just happened to be on a spaceship that crashed on Earth 18 000 years ago, while also having one of the passengers on that ship survive and get out of their sleeping pod. Where are they? I don’t think we’ll ever find out.

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One of the most amazing things in the whole movie was that they were so casual with the destruction of Metropolis, and causing so much damage to the city, and they cry out that Superman is a hero. Yes, it wasn’t entirely his fault, but from the look of it, he did very little to save anyone, going as far as throwing Zod towards buildings full of people.

I enjoyed the nice touches of the greater plans that they might or might not have been planning towards the DCEU. Including the Wayne satellites, and the LuthorCorp trucks.\

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The most controversial part of the movie – the death of General Zod, is one of the most hated things about this movie, and I’m still upset about this to this day. Superman does not kill, yes, he’s killed Zod once in the comics, but that was one story that they had out of thousands of different stories. I feel like the circumstances of the death was stupid as well, I would have much prefered if Zod had gone into the Phantom Zone with everyone else when the ship collided with the World Engine. It would have been a much satisfying ending, rather than the whole air punching fight scene that caused so much damage to the city and to the Superman character as a whole.

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Overall, I feel like this was a solid film that had amazing music and cinematography, a little shaky on the characters and the acting, with an ending that is extremely divisive amongst the fans. I love Cavill’s performance as Superman, but there’s still a lot of room to grow. At the end of the day, I don’t have much more to say about this film, and I would end up giving this movie a final score of 7.5/10.

What did you think of Man of Steel? Are you excited for Justice League? Let me know in the comment section below!

Thanks for reading,

Alex Martens

Man of Steel Review Release Date: June 14, 2013 Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes "With the imminent destruction of Krypton, their home planet, Jor-El and his wife seek to preserve their race by sending their infant son to Earth.

[sandinz]

I first discovered ‘Calendar Club‘ at the end of 2013 when searching for a calendar with five columns to record our various events and commitments.

One column for me. One for Barry. And one for each of our three businesses.

Eventually I found the perfect one.

I discovered another suitable calendar in the same place. A no frills one, specifically for Barry to keep on the boat.

For the following two years, wherever we were moored, I searched for the same outlet – and bought them again.

Little did I realise that in 2016 Barry and I would be working for this organisation, albeit self-employed contracted by fellow narrow boaters.

Having so much time to get familiar with their impressive range, in 2017 I even branched out and changed our calendar selection! In fact I chose to return to a paper diary, rather than the five-columned-calendar. It’s got enough space for all my current activities and businesses, AND is small enough to fit in my handbag to accompany me on frequent family trips.

I also diversified for Barry and the boat, selecting a ‘You & Me’ slim calendar. One column each.

Barry has a ‘make a plane a day’ desktop calendar (though he hasn’t managed to maintain a daily ritual, there’s quite a collection ready for grandsons and other youngsters to keep them amused whilst on board).

Our grandson has a ‘Guinea Pig’ calendar.

And mum has a ‘nudiknits’ one.

My daughters have a left handed diary and a family planner.

You may be able to spot each of these if you look carefully amongst the vast array of choices in the images below …

A novel way to top up our self-employed income

As floating traders, our festival season (mostly) comes to a close at the end of September. For the past few winters we’ve hoped our businesses would continue to support us.

Finally, last year, we decided to face the stark truth that sadly they weren’t, and we needed to seriously seek strategies to increase our income through the bleak UK winter months.

A couple of years ago we’d chatted to a young (ish!) couple living on a narrowboat, who told us they’d worked for Calendar Club in Sutton Coldfield, the town I grew up in and raised my two daughters. It was hard work but well worth it, they said, for the short period of time you had to commit to. But that if they did it again they’d employ some help so they could have a bit of down time.

Fortunately we bumped into Tony and Julie again early last year, and Barry asked if a/ they were doing it again, and b/ if they were looking for help. As luck would have it the answer to both those questions was affirmative. So a deal was struck and Barry knew he’d be working Wednesdays and weekends at Merry Hill from early October to early January.

I’d imagined I could return to midwifery without too much stress, and dip my toe in as a bank or agency midwife to earn some extra when we needed it. That wasn’t a terribly successful plan!  An unmitigated disaster actually. But hey ho. I tried.

Around the same time as I walked away from the course, another floating trader (Sandra Willis from The Doggie Boat) had made the move to join Calendar Club too, after meeting Tony and Julie at a festival in Tipton. I thought I’d see if she wanted a very part-time hand with the store.

She did.

Hurrah!

Three months of graft and giggles

Calendar Club was a gift of a resource for us, suiting our circumstances perfectly.

Selling is what we do, and it’s so simple when we sell things we believe in (like home brew kits and facepainting of course!). I was buying calendars from this company for three years before I worked for them!

Admittedly it was a mighty commitment, packed into a three-month period.

However, it was also fascinating and fun. I loved meeting the customers and chatting when it wasn’t too busy. At the beginning neither of us had half a clue about who most of the celebrities were – apart from the more well-known like Elvis and Cliff Richard (both of whom continue to be best sellers!). It was quite an education discovering some of the current stars and singers.

Someone came up to Barry and asked for a calendar of Anton Deck. Well that’s what he heard …

Ant and Dec never made it to New Zealand – Julie says she could hardly contain herself when Barry told her and it took a while before she could stop laughing and explain who they were after (they didn’t do one by the way!).

Calendar Club are a huge organisation, with their Head Office not far from my younger sister in Exeter. They have Territorial Managers (TAs) all over the country who help each ‘pop-up’ shop or Mall Unit to put their store together and take it down. They’re always at the end of the phone between times, and will also drop in unannounced generally to see how the store manager is getting on.

Stock is delivered frequently, generally depending on sales. During the early weeks especially, new ranges come out; or calendars of celebrities or football clubs who have been delayed for whatever reason getting theirs out.

There’s a recommended way of displaying all the calendars, and stores are guided and encouraged to make up gift packs which give 10% off. Some weekends (not publicised in advance), there will be a buy one get one half price deal. And of course after Xmas there’s a 40% off everything (except gift wrap and perpetual stock).

Sandra Willis and I on Xmas Jumper Day at the Calendar Club store in Ankerside Shopping Centre Tamworth

Surrounded by Calendars of all shapes and sizes

You can’t comprehend how diverse the range of calendars sold are. There’s:

~ Almost every dog breed imaginable

~ Fat cats, cute cats, cat naps, bad cats, angry cats, Simon’s cat, and kittens

~ Yoga cows, cats and dogs

~ There’s goats in trees, guinea pig games, nuns having fun

~ Desk calendars, wide, slim or easel

~ An assortment of cars, planes, trucks, bikes and trains

~ Ski-ing, surfing, skate or snowboarding, golf, BMX, fishing, racing, running, cycling, wrestling – male AND female

~ To tickle your fancy there’s derrieres, silhouettes, totally naked, inked ladies, front and back, The Sun girls – for the men. For the women there’s tattooed torsos, hottest guys, black, firefighters and dreamboys

~ A preponderance of football teams – some stocked all over, others were targeted to the area (Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Wolves particularly where we worked)

~ The most expensive calendar was someone we’d never heard of – Simon Wicks at £13.99! And he sold surprisingly well – more on that to come …

A few funny stories (mostly from the other Sandra) and heartwarming tales

A frequently heard and frustrating question was “How much are your calendars?“. Peruse the range above. Realistically, it doesn’t take a genius to calculate the prices will mostly differ depending on the particular one …

I got asked if we had a Vladimir Putin calendar. I asked if he was serious. He stated he was. “You’ve got Cliff, why wouldn’t you have Vladimir?” So like a good operator I did a search on the Calendar Club website for the famous Russian man, just in case. “Sorry no, we don’t” I informed him politely.  He walked away and I’ve no doubt he’d done it for a bet and laughed as he left.

As I said, most of the celebrity calendars we had no clue as to who they were.  These calendars generally cost £8.99 or £9.99. Apart from a guy called Pete Wicks whose calendar cost an astonishing £13.99!! We’d never heard of him, but were reliably informed he was off one of the reality tv shows.

Well one day Sandra Willis was at the till, and she heard shrieking and hysterical laughter coming from one of the bays – yep, you guessed correctly, the one with Pete Wicks in.

Not long after, two ‘older’ ladies wheeled round their shopping trolleys with a Pete Wicks calendar proudly displayed on top. That picture was hilarious enough, but when they came to pay they assured her he was worth every penny. They both trundled off with their purchases, and as the second one was leaving, she turned round and winked at Sandra stating “I’m even going to put a clean bra on for him tonight!”

There’s a wide section of organisers and family planner calendars. Sandra sent a gentlemen round to the ‘family planning’ section – she only did this once. As soon as the words were out of her mouth she realised with amusement and embarrassment what she’d said.

As well as knowing nothing about celebrities, Sandra was also rather vague about football. So when asked if she had a ‘blues’ calendar,  enquired were they a band – which had the customer in hysterics.

On another occasion, and not wanting to be outdone, someone asked her for a name she hadn’t heard of, to which she thought she’d look really intelligent and said “Oh! Is that a footballer?” Only to be told “No!” It was an artist!

Sandra also had a couple of rather special ‘pay it forward’ incidents.

Nearby she noticed a young man’s carrier bag full of shopping broke, so she gave him one of the Calendar Club’s  super sturdy ones. He appeared to be rather embarrassed by this, quietly said “Thank you“, then dashed swiftly off. About 20 mins later he re-appeared with a cup of hot chocolate for Sandra.

Another time she’d forgotten to bring a drink of water. It was a very busy morning with a queue of people waiting to buy their calendars, and the Greggs cafe opposite had a long line out of their door. Sandra ran to the back of the Greggs queue and asked a young lady there if she’d buy her a bottle of water, and gave her the money. She was serving when the young woman put the bottle by the till, but thanked her profusely without really looking. It was only as the queue died down and she went to get the water, that she noticed she’d returned her money along with a gift of a mince-pie in a little bag with ‘Merry Xmas’ written on it.

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that mean the most.

Calendar Club are recruiting!

There were 277 Calendar Club stores around the United Kingdom in the 2016/17 trading period. Each of these stores operate as a ‘franchise’, and the operator earns a percentage of the overall takings for the time they’re responsible. They can also recruit and employ their own ‘staff’ and are encouraged to do so.

The timing of the store openings is perfect for floating traders to take advantage of once the festival season is over, so long as they can find a suitable place near a canal, somewhere to moor, and transport to get to and from their store.

If you’re interested and want to know more, go to the recruiting page on the website and fill out an application!

Christmas Eve celebrations toasting a well-deserved day off tomorrow yay! Sandra, Julie, Tony and Barry

Take down day 8th January 2017 after jut over three months of complete commitment to Calendar Club

This year, if all goes to plan, we’ll have our own Calendar Club store or Mall Unit from October through to the New Year.

How exciting! Actually ‘working’ together, in the same place, doing the same thing. I think that’s a first for us …

Capturing the essence of our experiences with ‘Calendar Club’ I first discovered 'Calendar Club' at the end of 2013 when searching for a calendar with five columns to record our various events and commitments.