The Greatest Showman review

There are tales of people going back again and again to cinemas to watch this musical; in fact it’s still on at some of our local screens over five months after it first opened. This is rare these days even for some huge blockbusters. Yet some critics panned it on release last year – “big top baloney” was one of the comments made but it’s outlasted the movies released around the same time. The PT Barnum depicted in the film would surely approve of this turn of events. According to the narrative he welcomed criticisms which he felt helped promote the show and sell tickets- we even see him in a hat with word `humbug` written in gold lettering on it! Now its available to buy the rest of us can find out what the fuss is about….

Top of the Pops 28 April 1983

Reviewed by Chris Arnsby: John Peel: "Live from Shepherd's Bush London it's Top of the Pops." David Jensen: "Gee, John this is the 999th edition. I guess it marks the end of an era" John Peel: "I don't think so. Not really. It is a special programme though, not only the European charts but also the Southeast Asian charts."David Jensen: "That's right, but to kick off something new in our chart from Galaxy, this is Dancing Tight." John Peel: "Is there any other way?"

[20] Galaxy: Dancing Tight. Galaxy are rhyming tight with night. We can't be far from follow up rhymes with right, sight, and trite. Still never mind that. Regardez! At the back of the stage. Behind the lead singer. One of the Zoo dancers is determinedly doing the robot dance despite the fact that it doesn't really match the song. Can he keep this up for the whole programme? (John –Perhaps he is actually a robot?)

The Gifted season one review

Of the many fantasy series currently playing on multiple home viewing outlets, The Gifted may well be the most traditional and straightforward. A spin off from the X Men universe it focusses on a disparate group of mutants struggling to survive during a government crackdown on their kind. As the authorities- in the form of Sentinel Services- employ increasingly inventive and ruthless methods, the so called `mutant underground` are forced to question their own tactics. After so many series- notably another X Men cousin Legion- doing their best to bamboozle with narrative or visual trickery it is refreshing to discover linear storytelling and characters we can root for and become interested in.

Yanny vs Laurel

So here’s the clip…..

Which name do you hear? This conundrum has been driving people crazy over the past week or so and this is just one of zillions of posts, Tweets and general online chatter as to which word is actually being spoken. It’s remarkable. I’ve seen footage of two people equally convinced of the word they heard but one of them quite categorically hears “yanny” whereas the other equally hears “laurel”. What has fascinated people is the fact that whichever word you hear there is no ambiguity about it and you cannot understand how someone else could hear a completely different word. Not since the gold dress / blue dress has there been such an online kerfuffle!

Ad Break #3 - Horses, cars and Arnie’s head!

Lloyds - “You’re not alone…..”

Sometimes an advert will have more than one version and after a few months a shortened edit will be aired presumably to acknowledge that people do get tired of seeing the ad again and again. Other times there is a longer version and in the case of the current Lloyds Bank ad this is being shown only in cinemas. Lloyds adverts seem aimed to position the bank as the dependable friend of the family, an enabler to happy developments. Their previous ad played on the emotion of big events with a large horse running through slow motion events like the birth of a baby, a marriage proposal and so on. Of course if a huge horse really started to run about in a hospital it would be a health and safety disaster. 

Deadpool 2 review

What makes Deadpool 2 work really well is that it still has the contours of a typical superhero film yet undercuts these constantly with dark humour and knowing asides. There was a risk that the first film’s tricks might not work again or at least seem over familiar but somehow this sequel manages a load of new tricks and if not quite as laugh out loud funny as its predecessor certainly hits the target time after time.

Spoilers ahead...

Top of the Pops 21 April 1983

Reviewed by Chris Arnsby. Richard Skinner: "Hello and welcome to Top of the Pops."

Janice Long: "And we've got some great stuff for you tonight like The human League, Spandau Ballet, and the Thompson Twins." Richard Skinner: "Absolutely right, but first here's Culture Club, and my tip for next week's number one, the Church Of The Poison Mind."

[2] Culture Club: Church Of The Poison Mind. Richard Skinner's not much of a soothsayer. Church Of The Poison Mind has peaked. It's been blocked from number one by David Bowie, and now coming up behind it fast is a song that is going to be massive. 

Brad's Status review

A thoughtful film about a topic that might be easy to overdramatise, Brad’s Status is much better than it’s bland title suggests. Brad Sloan is 47 and, working for a non- profit making organisation, he seems to have a good life with socially conscious wife Melanie and well- adjusted son Troy. However he can’t help comparing himself to old college mates who seem to be doing rather better. All are richer and appear to have a bigger lifestyle not that he knows first-hand having picked most of this up on social media. These feelings of morose dissatisfaction grow as he takes his son on a visit to potential colleges which brings into focus his own teenage aspirations and how he views his life trajectory.

Time and Tides

Of all the alternative energy sources that are being tried around the world at the moment tidal energy seems like it should be the best option for at least a portion of our energy needs. While we do seem to have a lot of windy weather, it’s not every single day and as for solar energy you’re not going to be getting those long sunny days on a regular basis. Other alternative energies seem to require a more involved process. Tides on the other hand ebb and flow every day whether it’s wet, cold, hot or sunny. They come in, they go out and the basic principle of using the energy from water to power things has been around since the days of the water wheel. Plus when you’re an island nation it seems to be obvious to use a resource that is all around us.