Spaceballs

 So I got round to watching this I have never seen it all before. I think a few bits and pieces 

Brooks has made better- I didn't laugh at many of the jokes here. That said this would have had a much younger audience.

The film is quite meta but then Brooks always is- There is a video sequence where they fast forward to understand the plot. 

The virgin alarm is interesting - I bet that won't fly in the sequel. 

Oh its Joan Rivers as the C3P0.. Don't look at my can...

Pizza the Hut was amusingly hideous.

Good for John Hurt for doing that cameo

I will make a point of seeing the sequel. I can cross it off my list

Land of the Lost

 Forgettable

Ferrell remakes a 1970s show- Which I have never seen. I have only seen referenced a few times. A pity because the premise of Land of the Lost, sounds interesting if played straight

Why is a middle aged professor listening to show tunes funny for anyone but an 11 year old?

Ferrell's character smokes a pipe - which I assume is lifted from the source material 

You can have decent dinosaur effects with a budget of 100 million

Ana Friel is still pretty

This film was made during  a particular spot of dinosaur science when they thought the T-Rex was smarter than it was - They have a T-REX remember faces. 

Oh there are lots of poo jokes

Ferrell, Friel and Danny McBride mess about with CGI and props. There is very little new here. McBride and Ferrell are better elsewhere.

Kiss Me Deadly

 I watched this on a recommendation of Conor Fitzgerald 

Meeker I recognize from paths of Glory- I learn he was married to Salome Jens- the female changeling from Star Trek Deep Space Nine. Meeker is a fine actor. He is physically imposing- I can see why the censors felt compelled to cut a lot of the fighting and violence. Meeker does it too well

Hammer slaps his way into getting what he wants. A teen bullies dream 

The violence is hard. There is an an attempted mugging/murder on Hammer - and Hammer kills the man 

This film left me uneasy and unsettled. It feels raw even after nearly 3 quarters of a century. There is a lot of Noir in Magnum P.I Magnum riffs, and rattles to the beat of Noir. You could even seen a similar relationship with Hammer and his mechanic, as TC and Magnum. People are wearing Hawaiian shirts

Even the what'sit could be from Magnum P.I- Indeed Meeker is almost a facial hair free Tom Selleck 

So it feels familiar but it is colder, sharper and not sharper in the sense of more coherent. This will cut you

You realize the damsel in distress that Hammer picks up is naked under her trench coat

I note that the car Hammer is driving gets a bit of a branch stuck underneath in - something unseen and unrecognized tangled up the machine

There is a lot of screaming.. The two women Hammer meets in this film both suffer terrible fates - I don't like or watch horror films. So I felt this the in the pitt of my stomach- the screams didn't seem to stop 

The ending is unexpected- a murder is not uncovered. Rather a weapon of mass murder*. Maybe Hammer should have just left thing things alone. Maybe I shouldn't have watched this. I am glad I did though

( *I had thought if Peron's milk bottle reactors had been in mind)

Harris Yulin

 1937-2025

Husband- Actor- UCLA graduate

Sometime beau of Fay Dunaway 

An Actor, who graced Deep Space Nine, Fraiser and Buffy 

In Frasier ``a Word to the WiseGuy''

• Dr. Niles Crane: You see, last week, my lady got on the wrong side of Larry Law, and since then, certain, shall you say, complications have arisen. And now things are hot, hot, hot. And we hear you're the man to turn on the air conditionin'.
• Jerome Belasco: I sense you're a film buff, Dr. Crane.

Deep Space Nine: Duet

• Marritza: I am alive. I will always be alive! It's Marritza who's dead! Marritza, who was good for nothing but cowering under his bunk and weeping like a woman. Who every night covered his ears because he couldn't bear to hear the screaming... for mercy... of the Bajorans...

Moonlighting ( Pilot)

 

This is was different... I remember watching Moonlighting on its first run- and I remember seeing repeats at 11 am on weekdays during the 1990s. I watched the pilot with Robyn once

Cybil Sheppard is radiant. The show makes no bones of this- Her character Maddie is a former model. The pilot opens with a montage of Sheppard's magazine covers. Strangely her character once she discovers she is penniless refuses point blank to go back to modelling - I get the feeling a contemporary  TV show would dive deeper into that reluctance 

Sheppard changes costume a lot. 

I finished this with a lot of respect for Sheppard-If for no other reason her climbing in high heels  She is great. It is interesting to see a female protagonist after watching Magnum, and Simon and Simon 

Willis I found hard to take. The way he delivers dialogue I assumed he was doing coke 

We have a comic Italian chef breaking plates. Which could be pilfered and exchanged for money 

We also have a ``punk'' bad guy- Who is being chased by men in suits what an inversion. The bad guy blows a kiss at his quarry

Alice Beasley- Coaches daughter plays Agnes

Brian Thompson - Luke and the Judge on Buffy plays one of the bad guys 

  Dennis Cleveland Stewart- Who played the leader of the Scorpions in Grease plays the Mohawk man here. The Mohawk man who is seen loading a gun in the early part of this episode -forgets he has a gun later on 

The McGuffin is a bag of diamonds hidden at the end of World War Two. I did wonder was the Mohawk man supposed to be a Neo Nazi. The location of the diamonds was concealed in a watch- which was bequeathed by  a father to his son 

The son is killed off, and we see his widow later on- she is supposed to be TV drunk 

It is very 80s. Jogging 

The dénouement is well done. A touch of the 39 steps, and the sheer horror of heights

I will watch more

Survey

 

2025 update

I would get my daughter diamonds

I have not been to the cinema for a while but Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

I no longer watch TV

I enjoy live rugby

 What time did you get up this morning?  (2021 updates in blue)

10 am.

7 Am-

 2. Diamonds or pearls?

I have never worn or owned either. I would prefer diamonds as:

They are the second hardest substance

In Russian, they are called Brilliants

I have bought my ex wife diamonds

Last movie you saw at the cinema?

I can’t remember. I mean to see Valkerie

I think something in Peru?    

What are your favourite TV shows?

Alias, The Shield, Lost, Heroes, Mock the Week, Xena

Family Guy, Dr Who, CSI, Battlestar Galatica

Doctor Who is still there. I no longer watch any of the shows mentioned above. I rarely watch TV 

What do you usually have for breakfast?

Cereal, Yoghurt, Toast, Tea, Biscuit. I have stopped eating dead things.

Yes

What is your middle name?

James,

What food do you dislike?

Oranges, Bananas

What is your favorite CD?

Fun Loving Criminals

I no longer buy CDs

Favorite sandwich?

BLT or Pastrami and Gherkin- 

What characteristic do you despise?

Laziness

Favourite item of clothes

My sky blue UNC-CH hoodie

If you could go anywhere in the world on
vacation, where would you go?

Moscow, however Valya and I are supposed to tour Latin America.

For a weekend Break anywhere in Germany

Hawaii with my daughter 

  Favourite brand of clothing?

J Crew

Don't care. Get me a nice suit

Where would you retire to?

Corpus Christi Texas.

Tumbes

Your most memorable birthday?

I remember most of them. Possibly when I went to Hawaii.

I haven’t had a good birthday in years.

 Favourite sport to watch?

This quiz was put together by a lady. Do I get to drink beer, while watching the game? How hot is it ? Live or on TV

If I had to choose 5 sporting events.

UNC-CH versus Dook

Auld Firm

Carolina Panthers, versus anyone

Any NHL game

Bundesliga if I am watching soccer. As then I can drink beer.

Snipped

  Are you a morning person or a night person?

Late night

What is your shoe size?

9,  which is 9.5 in American money A girl told me this is small

Pets?

Nope

I had a pitbull 

What did you want to be when you were little?

Archaeologist, Architect

  How are you today?

Fine. I had the day off

  What is your favourite candy?

Jelly beans

What is your favourite flower?

Bluebells? I got flowers for my last birthday though. As well as a teddy bear

What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to.

March, my trip to Boston

Returning to Peru, so Xmas I hope     

What is your favourite pastime?

Watching live sports. Reading,

What are you doing right now?

Editing the quiz

.What was the last thing you ate?

Antacid

Do you wish on stars?

Not anymore

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Gold, and its an American woman who composed the quiz

How is the weather right now?

Wet

The first person you spoke to on the phone
today?

No one calls me. I loathe speaking on the phone

Ward Clerk, in the Hospital where I work 

Favorite soft drink?

Cream Soda, chocolate Milk

 

Favorite restaurant?

Hooters Honolulu

Natural hair color?

Black, because us Guys dye it often :)

What was your favourite toy as a child?

Grimlock, and Lego

Summer or winter

Winter

Hugs or kisses?

Kisses. Depends on who it is. If its a Busty 22 year old, then a hug.

By the way, do people say no, kisses, only hugs. You may now hug the bride. One presumes, a level of intimacy in a kiss. Ergo…

A Woman wrote this quiz. Wait do I get to give the kisses, and wear?

 Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate

 Coffee or tea?

Tea, Mint, decaff, and Irish Breakfast

When was the last time you cried?

Don’t really remember. Cried all the time as a kid. Don’t so much now.

What is under your bed?

Boots, Tools. Iron, Ironing board. Bedclothes box, Laundry hamper

Nothing 

What did you do last night?

Rode my bike. I had chicken for dinner. I watched TV. I got home late

Made Dad his dinner, hung washing out. Rode bike, did some shopping

What are you afraid of?

Madness. 

Salty or sweet

Sweet

How many keys on your key ring?
4

2
.Favourite day of the week?

Saturday

How many towns have you lived in?

Three

4    

Do you make friends easily?

No

Doctor Who. The Reality War

 

Okay there are spoilers here

I am going to work backwards here-I will give you the positives first

I did enjoy seeing 13's cameo I did like that Jodie Whittaker was written properly for once. 

I did very much enjoy Archie Panjabi as the Rani. I think caught got the spirit of the character perfectly

Anita Dobson should have done more comedy.

I was moved by the discussion of living a life of childlessness which is often unwanted. I thought that Belinda was well written as a mother- This is the Lungbarrow story

It looks great. That has been true for years now

I disliked

BBC London- Its bright and clean. Everyone can afford a house. It is never raining. 

I loathe Billie Tyler being teased as the Dr- Yes I have heard the speculation that this the Bad Wolf or such. I don't care. Move on-move on. 

I dislike UNIT having laser beams to fire at CGI. They are better when they are grunts. 

What the hell was the plot? They had made a deal with the God of Wishes to create one man's utopia. Eventually doubt would consume the world, and open a portal to allow Omega to break free- Oh except Omega is a monster now. A thoughtless monster.. who eats Timelords. Then Poppy is lost and found. She was part timelord and now she did 

Oh and it is acknowledged that this Utopia is really not that bad. Why have a villian produce this brave new world 

What I think is that Dr Who has not learned the lesson of the 80s. Another time when you heard about  the Rani and Omega. Another time when a showrunner was voicing opinion. Maybe show- maybe hint instead

What we have is more and more mythology - Just make a nice Cyberman story