Reviews

Kids and big birds ten out of ten. Unbelievable family dynamics a big fat zero-from me. This bitsy flick is not in the same class as the likes of Whiskey Galore! A so-called "family film" spoiled by "bottom humour". I think the writers spent to much time with Stephen Fry. Also,quite sad,seeing well known actors reduced to almost non-verbal roles. Liked the "intelligent house"-sort of made the world really become "virtual".(is that possible?)Oh,scene change by ostrich flitting across the screen,brilliant! I must say,the idea of pushing Billy Connelly out to sea on a burning raft certainly does have some appeal! ;-)

I think I know my "Benson(and Holt etc)".I watched this entertaining contemporary take on Lucia's progress with great interest.Longitudinally,Mapp is Lucia's nemesis.What ever is going on in Lucia's busy social life there is always an awful possibility Mapp will pop up.She,well,is not a nice person.One thing I'd like to suggest to the makers of this current series,your production is absolutely sumptuous with fine views of Rye and environs,please don't truncate stories to fit time slots.Two tales ought never be abridged,"War and Peace" and "Mapp & Lucia". That said,there is now surely enough written material to make a longer series than "Downton Abbey"!

The story seemed to be being written as the show jerked along!The "villain" was diagnosable 2 seconds after he appeared on screen.Doubt I'll watch another episode-and John Nettles is NOT the reason.I reckon MSM really shows how brilliant the likes of Wexford,Frost,Morse,Wycliffe and D&P were! I guess the one thing that bugs me is my inability to warm to MSM characters-they are SO unpleasant.In MSM I'm happy to see said folk deleted violently(and improbably)it helps get to the end of the picture! As a PS I'd like to add that in this particular episode DS Jones is made out to be particularly obtuse-to downright dumb! I thought that a bit unfair.

Starts of OK(apart from "Oxford" Phillips fanciful goings on in Spain). Thereafter thinks move at a pace.The most interesting battle in the series is between business-owner Sefton Briggs and his "donkey"brother-in-law, Edwin Ashton.Keeps the show alive actually.One or two appearances are rather "guesty"(eg Robert)And that little chap John George hardly ever gets fed,is never seen(one for the social welfare folk?) Moving to the second half-series 3 in particular.The whole yarn becomes rather "Mills & Boonish".Afraid I cannot tolerate the acting of passive-aggressive Sheila Ashton and her inadequate soiciopathic husband! I rather hoped a doodle-bug would get them....

This rambling home movie, makes Clyde Beatty's life-style look like a walk in the park! A plague of big cats greets a woman with kinder,when they come to "reunite" with manic dad in a corner of darkest Africa. Reminds me of that dreadful rendition of "Phil the fluter's ball..."-you know "cats on the roof tops,cats on the tiles,etc!" Any-rate,a wonderful menagerie of savage beasts keeps the viewer so entertained that a plot isn't really necessary. 10 out of 10 to the camera crew who MUST have been involved in some hair-raising moments with the animals. Many many close-ups of slavering jaws will keep me and mine, awake for weeks!

This the tale of a selfish gene,embodied in 4 generations of a family mostly named Kent.Kent men were,as a rule,not to bright and not prone to make good judgment calls.Frequently their heart ruled their heads and frequently they were in trouble. The Kents were frustrated action men I suppose.Anytime they entered into a field of conflict they seemed to harm bystanders,rather than the object of their ire. The story rambles through hours and hours where well-known actors do "bad guy" cameos and are thankfully dispatched quickly.The only "good guy" who is on the side of right and god is,Grizzly Brian Keith.More strength to his elbow,I say. I thought the story was pretty bad,almost funny at times but by and large an ordeal to watch.The third part,"The Seekers" descended into high farce and little Jarrard Kent's escapades were akin to those of Huck Finn. I would never watch this poorly acted,disjointed,poorly scripted flick again.Gets a big "OH DEAR" from me.

Surreal at times-mundane at others.Why does self-absorbed irritable Victor keep getting his gear off?I mean,I've watched the whole series and Annette Crosbie seems to be able to keep her clothes on but Victor is always peering down the front of his trousers or fiddling with his fly,seems obsessed with a state of undress. For me,the star of the show was Mrs Warboys-always good for a laugh at a most inappropriate moment. Patrick and Pippa...could they be real?I think not.Patrick had watched Fawlty Towers once to often-whilst Pippa was anyone's for the price of a sherry. Must say I miss the Meldrews though. Full marks to Mr Renwick and cast for a great series!.

Pretty unrealistic murder mystery. Reminiscent of the "famous five" The feminist card is played to early and to long. The dimwittedness of males is a cross the girls must carry. Mind you the principal lady,Susan,has incredible difficulty conveying the simplest bit of information to anyone else.Sighs and heaving bosoms convey little to the average chap. The story itself is incredible.Things become unbelievably(Meldrew,not me) out of control in the last episode. Hope we see no more of these 1940 anoraks. My feeling is,the Bletchley Circle would have been more gainfully engaged in confidence tricking.Either bringing scammers to boot with their code breaking talents or perhaps,chiseling "not very deserving outfits", themselves.And getting away with it of course.A bit the way Alistair Sim or Sir Alec tended to do things.......

The Grand,it isn't. This series is a sort of,television "monument to sleaze". There are simply no likable characters and some are so evil an average guest at the Grand would have to think twice or thrice before daring to leave their room! If you are into,suicide,murder,wicked ways and weird weird surrogacy, plus heaps of infidelity,"The Grand" will appeal. Set in post WWI Manchester,it is the tale of the decline and fall of a family of erstwhile successful hoteliers,the Bannermans. Downstairs,the Dickensian staff,with a corporate IQ of 40,are getting restless-and into trouble. Upstairs,self interest prevails. The naval gazing Bannermans pursue as many hurtful and self-destructive lines of behaviour their idle minds can conjure up. My advice,stay at the Midland!

A quite superb rendition of a grand Victorian tale. A bit of Dickens, a bit of Collins and a bit of something entirely new. This story is about girls,not usually my cup of tea but I found FS utterly compelling.What's more I warmed to the plight and feelings of the ladies.I really didn't give a fig about the fate of the men in this show. I'm trying to remember,when was I last left utterly bewildered by a sudden turn of events at the end of Part One of a mini-series?Never,as I recall. But,rather like a cliff-hanger movie serial,all became clear as the tale thus-far, was recapped from another point of view. I really have no criticism of Fingersmith.I watch mini-series night and day and somehow had missed this one which I can now say,"is a jewel among mini-series",as it's heroines are amongst literary characters.

In "Top Secret" Val Kilmer sang,"How silly can you get?" This dumb flick answers his question. Beats me how so many good actors get raked into this "time-waster" sort of movie. It barely has a plot.What it has stumbles along and is disjointed(I'm not talking about Mr Bean's acting either!) If a production team wants to take the proverbial out of the "Bond genre",how about doing it with a super smooth well-mannered nit from the David Niven stable? Rown shows a flash of brilliance then descends to Lou Costello tricks!Hard to believe it cost 35,000,000. In all movies of this kind the baddie really gets to strut his stuff. John M.s evilness was just enough for "family consumption" Lorna whats-her-name from Interpol gave a formula performance that would have satisfied the Bond production people.Talk about a curates egg!

If you have a rare undiagnosed complaint that is fixed quickly by a jab...then head for Port Wenn.Doc Martin may SAVE YOUR LIFE! Just watched the 5th series of this show. Port Wenn looks a great place for a holiday but it is an even greater place to suddenly collapse in the street.I've never seen or heard of a place where so many of the citizens,permanent or transient,simply drop in the street!Once down,they are attended by immaculately suited grumpy Dr Martin Ellingham. Who...raises the near-dead! I'd like to know. Why is Martin always saddled with a dimwit for a receptionist?A good one would protect him from all the balmy calls that come in from the local police/school/food shops etc.But no,poor old Martin,short on communication skills,has to put up with receptionists that scream,"you've GOT to go!"And off he trots with his wee black bag to see some kid who has licked the classroom floor as a dare. Martin is married to a home-grown school mistress and they have a boy, James.What a tumultuous ride this kid is having! James is dragged around the village by both mum and dad. Absolute child abuse in action.With a bit of luck he will survive until they send him off to a boarding school. I can't really see where this series is going. It is getting pretty "samey".Set in an isolated community,new characters can always be drafted in.However,when the viewer knows the newcomer either,knew Martin in another life/has some hidden vice or illness,then said viewer can predict how the story will go. Maybe series 5 will be the end?

Great scenery-but there it ends.The sound was uneven and ear drum destroying at times. A real boys flick.Cowboys and Indians in Morocco,sort of thing. Not much of a story and what dialogue there is,is rather weird and stilted. Brian Keith gives an entertaining over the top,"Teddy Rooseveldt" impersonation-got the odd chuckle. Otherwise,the Krauts were krauts and the frogs were frogs and,wogs were wogs!-and good ol' boys,trained in the Rough Riders,shot the lot! Back in the USA.Teddy was glad to hear "the Moroccan problem"had been resolved. I didn't mention Candice Bergan?Sorry, I was brought up never to say anything nasty about a lady.

All episodes should be as entertaining as this one.Fortunately the majority are! Things are never as they seem-as usual.As Poirot might say,"when there is a cry of "Fire"-quite often it comes from the miscreant who lit the match".And so it is with murder,n'este ce pas? Look for the person who first claims dirty work! Also,look for the suspect(and aren't they all?)who conveys a piece of vital information to the eager ear of the murderer-who seems quite trustworthy at the time. Don't you love the Lakeland?I've been on the train that Poirot and Hastings rode-also the ferry.Great stuff that adds touches of realism to this delightful tale of crime in the most genteel of places.Thumbs up!

House....is entertaining.Even though I still see Wooster(fallen on hard times?) in an American medical drama. I worked in hospitals,as a house-surgeon,registrar,consultant.I really don't recall colleagues wildly shouting out their diagnostic opinions in hospital corridors.Nor do I recall my peers being so multi-talented! Fearful "oneupmanship" did prevail in teaching departments. I'm rather taken a back by the way House's interns almost invariably query their senior's opinions-but that maybe because numero uno is Gregory ,a bloke who doesn't wash,shave sleep or say sorry. And for that matter,isn't to keen on explaining his often darned near intuitive diagnoses. I do hope the "smart a*se" attitude of docs in this series is not aped in reality.It isn't funny and I know in my day I'd have quickly been shown the door if I'd defined my function in life as narrowly as Gregory House does!

private theater I was at...without offending my host! What an appalling load of twaddle this comic strip is.I was rooting for the tidal waves and could barely restrain a cry of,"Go get 'em tsunami!" I can do the "suspend belief bit" but I really can hack screamers who want to argue the point when they are in clear and imminent danger.I felt really sorry for the poor giraffe being tossed around like a rag doll.Otherwise I didn't really give a fig for what might happen to the principals of this special effects extravaganza.The hero(I use that word loosely)seemed to have a thousand lives and what's more,this, "sedantary computer addict whose claim to fame was the fact he had sold 500 copies of a novel he authored",also evidently held the world record, for holding his breathe under water.

Don't they make flicks for grown-ups anymore?

Watched this extravagant production last night and wept!What are the Poirot writer's up to? Does Suchet cringe when he watches "the rushes"? Do Christie aficionado's recognize the story? Tim Curry was the bloke who carried the show-and his character really wasn't in the written tale. The Pleasance presence was good for a laugh-straight out of a Hammer Horror as a bewildered guilt-ridden "nanny".Got to say,she looked good in the bath! Then there was the nun.Crikey dick,a white slaver in disguise,well, would you believe,"a relocator" of young white women? Must say I like Poirot's attire.he has a real sense of occasion. I think all that religious mumbo jumbo was offered in place of evidence.The little frog(sorry) got lucky when half the cast decided that,when in trouble,"do Hamlet".With bodies dropping left right and centre,Hercule was SURE to get the guilty party! roll on "Curtain" :-)Trevor